in his testament The fyne concludynge of his laste entent And after that he full piteously Besought Thelephus most hertely Of manly routhe and knyghtly gentilnesse To do his deuer and his busynesse After his death like his estate royall To halowe and holde his feast funerall Solemply and the exequies do And sodeynly without wordes mo The kyng Tentran yeldeth vp the goste And went his waye I note to what coste I can not deme of suche mystyhede And whan Percas broken had the threde On the rocke and he was forth his waye Then Thelephus out of marbell graye Curiously a tombe made do carue The dead corps therin to conserue Full rychely and aboue the graue An Epythaphe anone he dyd do graue In his honour playnly to expresse His knighthode both and his worthynesse And howe his goste and he were deuorced With letters ryche of golde aboue enboced Rounde aboute wonder curious On his tombe that sayden playnly thus Here lyeth Tentran the kyng doubtles Whylom slayne of cruell Achylles That his scepter and the regallye Hooly gaue whiche no man may denye To Thelephus the sonne of Hercules Whiche in his tombe resteth nowe in peace Whan this perfourmed was in euery thynge And Thelephus of Messa crowned kyng And hyghe and lowe all by one assent Had solempnely in open parlement Made fayth to hym and ydone homage Lyke their degrees as they were of age And with hole herte in all their best entent By othe assured and by sacrament As trewe lyeges receyued him for kyng ¶ Than Achylles without more taryinge Whan all was sette in peace and gouernaunce Without grutchinge or any varyaunce To their shyppes anone he made carye Euery thyng that was necessarye To the grekes corne fruite or vitayle Fleshe or fyshe or what that might auayle To hosteynge or helpe them in their nede Downe to the sea he all this dyd lede Fully their vessell for to stuffe and lade And Thelephus after this he made Stylle in boundes of his regyon For to abyde for this conclusion That through his helpe and his diligence Busynes and discrete prouydence Agayne all myschyefe and all scarsytee Whan they nede he myght their socour be ALbe that he lyke as sayth Guydo With Achilles full fayne wolde haue go But he abode sothly for the beste By bonde assured fully and beheste In euery thynge grekes to releue And than in haste Achilles toke his leue Of Thelephus and gan anone to sayle All his shyphes stuffed with vitayle Towarde grekes as made is menciowne And in shorte tyme he at Tenedowne Aryued is and taken hath the grounde With all his knyghtes likwise hole sounde ¶ And after this to Agamenon He fyrste hath made full relacion Of his exployt lyke as it was fall In the presence of his lordes all Sittyng enuyron many worthy knyght ¶ And fyrste in Messa he telleth of the fyght Whan they entred and of their welcomyng And ceryously he tolde eke of the kynge That Tentran hyght and playnly also how Achylles amydde the fyelde hym slowe And or his death how he of hole entent Fully ordeyned in his testament Thelephus also to be his heire All this he tolde and eke of his repayre Vnto the sea and eke of the vyttayle ¶ And Thelephus how he wyll not fayle To sende them all that may them please Of whiche thynge the grekes in great ease Were brought of herte and lyke wonder well When Achilles had tolde them euerydell And greatly preysed his hygh prouydence His manhode both and his sapyence In his out beynge that he bare him so And after this Achylles is ygo To his lodgynge a lyttle there besyde Where his knyghtes vpon hym abyde Myrmydones full glade of his comynge And hym receyued as longeth to a kynge Where he abode and rested hym a whyle ¶ But for Guydo declyneth here his style From the grekes to them of Troye towne I must also make digressyowne Of myne auctour the steppes for to sewe Lyke as it is conuenient and dewe To my matter syth he is my guyde And for a whyle grekes sette asyde I wyll reherse how Dares Frygyus In Troye booke declareth vnto vs And ceriously maketh menciowne Of the lordes that came to Troye towne To helpen them manly in their defence Agaynst grekes to maken resystence With ordynaunce of many dyuers thynges There came to theÌ„ Erles Dukes kinges As in Dares playnly is made mynde Reade his boke and there ye may yt fynde ¶ And alder fyrst I reade how that he Specyally speaketh of kynges three Full manly men and also of great fame All be that he reherseth not the name Of their kyndomes yet he wryteth thus ¶ The fyrst of theim was called Pandarus And as I reade Tapor the seconde The thirde Andrastrus lyke as it is founde And as Guydo lyst to specyfye Thre thousande knyghtes in their companye And manly men they were euerychone ¶ And from an yle called Coleson Lyke as Dares listeth to expresse There came also of excellent prowesse ¶ Kynges foure of whiche the fyrst was As he hath wrytte ynamed Carras And the seconde hyghte Ymasyus Nestor the thirde the .iiii. Amphymacus And fyue thousande worthy knightes all There came with them manly for to fall Vpon the grekes in helping of the towne And fro y e prouince knowen of great renowne Called Lycye came the kyng Glaucon And with him brought his sonne Sarpedon A noble knight in armes full famous And was allyed to kyng Pryamus And thre thousande yf I shall not fayne There came of knightê w t these lordes twaine ¶ And from Larysse a ryche lande also As I fynde there camen kynges two And them to quite manly as they ought A thousand knightê they to Troye brought ¶ And from a kyngdome named Lycaowne Euphemus a kyng of great renowne Brought with hym as Dares doth wytnesse A thousande knyghtes of great worthynesse And fyue hundred Dares telleth vs Came with Hupon and with Epedus Many knyghtes in plates of syluer bryght And with hym eke a kyng y t Remus hyght Brought .iii. thousande to Troye many myle From Tabaria his large mightye yle And Dukes foure with all their chiualrye And Erles .viii. came in his companye Hauynge in armes great experyence And all they bare without difference Their men they when they were in y e fyelde The chiefe of golde eueryche in his shielde Wherby the kynge and holy his nauy Amonge them all knowen mighten be Albe that other bore eke the same Also froÌ„ Trace kynge Pylex by his name Fro thylke Trace that is moste excellent Whiche in the plage of the Oryent Haueth his scyte froÌ„ which this mighty kyng A thousande knightê brought at his cominge As myne auctor recordeth eke also An hundred knightes be to Troye go With Alchamus a worthy Duke famous That came with Pilex Guydo wryteth thus Troyans to helpe in their great nede And fro Pauonye sothly as I reade Came Pretemessus the noble werryour Lorde of that lande kynge
and gouernour And duke Stupex with him also had And of knyghtes a thousande that he ladde Towarde Troye from his region And as this storye maketh mencyon That prouince standeth most by wildernesse And by woodes of plenteous thickenesse Wherin growe full many diuers tree And most is forest that men may there se For they there buylde houses but a fewe And in that lande full diuersly them shewe Many lykenesse queynte and monstruous Beastes vnkouth to syght merueylous Stoundmele as by apparence By illusyon false in existence Wonder gastfull playnly for to sene For dyuers goddes of the woodes grene Apperen there called Satyrye Bycornes eke Fawny and Incubye That cause often men to falle in rage And of this lande the people full sauage Hardy knyghtes furyous and woode And desyrous aye to sheden bloude Greatly Experte specyally to shete With darte and spere peryllous for to mete For they caste euen as any lyne ¶ And from an yle that named was Boetine In great araye to Troye the Citee Lyke as I fynde there came Dukes three The fyrst of all called Amphymus Samus the secounde the thirde Forcius And as sayth Dares which listeth not to lye Twelue hundred knightes in their company ¶ And fro Brotyne as made is remembrance The riche lande that hath such habundaunce Of spyces gummes fruites corne and wine Holsome rotes ryndes ryche and fyne Wonder vnkouth and precious also Out of which there comen kinges two Full knightly men in armes desyrous Kynge Boetes and Epristuis And w t them brought to Troye from ferre A thousande knightes arayed for the werre ¶ And fro the lande called Pafflagonye Whiche seuered is from all companye As bookes saye that be hystoryall Vnder the plage that is Oryentall Sette so ferre as made is rehersayle That fewe or none to that lande trauayle For there to come is nere impossyble For whiche that lande is called inuisyble Bycause onely of his remosion And yet yt is a ryche regyon Of golde and syluer also and of stones And habundaunte of plentee for the nones It is so full of treasour and of good And hath his scyte on the ryche floude Ynamed Tygre not fer from Eufrates As sayth myne auctour that called is Dares From whiche lande in stele armed clene A thousand knightes came with Phylomene The worthy kyng whose shildes out of drede Were of cuirboilye in Guydo as I read With golde depainte fret with stones ryche that in this world I trow there was noÌ„e liche Out of the floudes chosen by deuyse Whiche haue their course out of Paradyse The whiche kyng a Gyaunt of stature And of his makynge passyng all measure Stronge and delyuer also as I fynde ¶ And fro the lande y t marcheth vpon Inde Kyng Perses came with many knightly man And he also that with his hande hym wan So moche honour the noble kyng Menon And eke his brother called Sygomon Whiche from the lande of their subiectiowne Of dukes erles and knyghtes of renowne Thre thousande brought all in plates shene With speres rounde whet ful square and kene From Ethyope came this noble route ¶ And from the kyngdome also out of doute That Thereo of Dares called is Came the kyngfull prudent and full wyse The manly man named Theseus And eke his sonne that hyght Archylogus A thousande knyghtes in their company And Theseus full nyghe was of allye To Pryamus by dissent of bloud And kynges twayne passyng ryche of good And renowmed of knighthode as by fame Albe that Guydo reherseth not their name Yet in this storye he maketh mencion That from Agresta the lyttle regyon A thousand knightê they brought vnto Troy The grekes pryde to daunte and to acoye For they were chosen and pycked for y e nones ¶ And from he land beyond the Amazones Lyssynya the kyng Epystrophus So wyse so worthy and inly vertuous Passyng of counsayle and discreciowne And with all this full worthy of renowne He preued was also in speciall And in the artes called lyberall He lerned was and expert a ryght Notwithstandyng he was a worthy knyght In werre and peace manfull and ryghte sage Albe that he was ronne ferre in age And as the storye maketh rehersayle A thousande knightê cladde in plate mayle To Troye towne I fynde that he ladde And with hym Guydo sayth that he hadde A wonder archer of syght meruaylous Of fourme and shap in maner monstruous For lyke myne auctour as I reherse can Fro the nauell vpwarde he was man And lower downe lyke a horse yshaped And thilke parte that after man was maked Of skinne was blacke and rough as any bere Couered with here fro colde him for to were Passyng foule and horrible of syght Whose eyen twain were sparkeling as bright As is a furneis with his reade leuene Or the lyghtnyng that falleth from y t heauen Dredefull of loke and reade as fyre of chere And as I reade he was a good archer And with his bowe both at euen morowe Vpon grekes he wrought moche sorowe And gasted them with many hydous loke So sterne he was that many of them quoke Whan they hym sawe so ougly and horryble And more lothsome than it is credible That many one hath wounded to the death And caused them to yelden vp the breath On grekes syde as ye shall after here ¶ And in this wyse assembled byn yfere Kynges Dukes and Erles of renowne From sundry landes within Troye towne That byn ygathred and come fro so ferre As sayth Dares to helpe them in this werre That were in numbre as he maketh mynde Two and thirtye thousande as I fynde Of worthy knyghtes and lordes of estate That syth the worlde was fourmed create Ne was sene I trowe in one Citee Together assembled of so hygh degree Nor of knightes so great a multitude And yet this Dares sothly to conclude In his boke maketh of them no mynde That came to Troye out of smaler Inde Nouther of them moste famous of renowne That were w t Priam yborne of Troy towne ¶ That fynally if it be trewly sought Syth y e houre that this world was wrought I dare affyrme vnder Phebus sphere So many worthy were not mette yfere Of manly men flouryng in lustynesse So freshe so yonge and as by lyklynesse In euery poynt of shape and of arraye For to do well for sothly this is no naye Who lyst consyder vpon outher syde For through the world where men go or ryde The floure of knighthode and of worthinesse Of chyualrye and of hyghe prowesse Assembled was without and within Fully assented the werre so to begyn ¶ Wherfore ye lysters taketh now good hede That you delyte in this boke to reade Fyrst for how lyttle that this werre began How light the cause for which so many a man Hath loste his lyfe in myschyefe pyteously And yet no man can beware therby Almost for nought was this stryfe begonne And who lyste loke they haue hereby nought wonne But only deth alas
wether lusty agreable and fayre But who maye truste other winde or ayre For vpon fayth of the smothe skye Agayne to shyppe faste I gan me hye Taryed nought but toke anone the sea Smothe and calme enduringe dayes three That in the wether founde was no lacke But sodaynly the heauen tourneth blacke The hidous tempest and the wawes grene Out of hope haue me dyspeyred clene Troubled my spyrite made me so pensife Without refute to escape with the lyfe Tossed and driuen by many sundrye yle Tyll the laste caste vp at Cecyle Recuringe lande with great annoye payne Where that tyme reygned kynges twayne And as I can remembre doubtles The tone of theim called Sorygines Whiche vnto me full contrarious was ¶ And the tother named Coclopas Brethren of byrthe and in conclusion Ylike cruell of condycyon For though my sorte had shape for the nones ¶ Both twayne fell on me attones Oppressinge in full great dystresse Spoyled my shippes of treasour and richesse And for pyte liked not to spare Till I was lefte destitute and bare Of all my good alas my mortall chaunce And most of all was to me greuaunce WheÌ„ of my golde they may no more restrayne They sent downe their mighty sones twayne ¶ Alipham that was ful large and longe ¶ And Polipheme y e mighty gianut stronge Which on my meÌ„ to auenge theÌ„ wereful fame That they of them haue an hundred slayne Disarayed to stande at diffence And of malice with sodayne violence They toke me for mischiefe almost lorne ¶ And Alphenor mine owne brother sworne And hatefully as they haue vs founde In chaynes caste and in stockes bounde And after that ylocked in prison And for to make platly mencyon This mighty man this great Polypheme A syster had shortly for to deme One of the fayrest that euer yet was borne She might in beaute so be set aforne Nature her gaue suche a prerogatife A cleane mayde sothly and no wyfe Flouringe both in fayrenesse and bounte Whom Alphenor when he did se Albe he was fetred in prison For loue he loste wit and eke reason And wex al mad so narowe she did him binde Saue vpon her alway was his minde And closed aye was his perillous wounde And sixe monethes thus we laye bounde ¶ Both he and I to saye the platte trouthe Til Polipheme had vpon vs routhe And through his grace and mediacion He quit vs fre out of that pryson And shewed vs of mercy and pite After our sorowe great humanite ¶ But Alphenor ylike of one entente Was with the bronde of Cupide brent And felte his parte with many mortall fit Till he so wrought with his sotyll wit That on a night who was leef or lothe He stale this mayde and his waye he gothe Through helpe of men with hym at that time ¶ But on the morowe at the houre of prime ¶ Poliphemus gan vs for to sewe Whose mighty hande we might not eschewe And suche assaulte on vs they gan make That of force they haue the mayde take ¶ From Alphenor mauger all his rage And Polipheme vnto my domage With his knightes so sore vpon me laye That I might vnneth scape awaye To saue my selfe compassed enuyron To death pursewed of that champyon But when I sawe there was no other gayne To fle death shortly for to sayne While this giaunt most fiersly on me set With my sworde out his eye I smet And vnto ship with my companye I fled in haste that no man might espye ¶ Where I became nor Alphenor my fere And when the wawes gan for to clere And gracious winde gan to vs awake That countre we haue anone forsake It was not holsome for vs to abyde But of this man like as write Ouide ¶ Poliphemus the Giaunt out of dread Had an eye amid of his forhead Which Vlixes smote out at a stroke And like the browes of a branched oke Was all his heyre and his longe berde On whom to loke children were aferde And when that he had lost his syght Amonge the hilles he runneth daye night In a rage to finde him some refuge Caste rockes and great stones huge On euery parte enuyron the countre On Vlixes auenged for to be Thus sayth Ouide in conclusion In his boke of transformacion Metamorphoseos there ye maye it se When so euer that your leyser be Ceriously the storye for to reade And in my writinge forth I will procede How Vlixes with face dead and pale To Ydume tolde forth his tale Rehersinge thus supprised and awaked Fro Polipheme when we were escaped Through our vnhappe and infelicyte Into an yle middes of the sea We were driue when it gan to night And ElidiuÌ„ that litell kingedome hight Where that Circes the great enchauntresse Thilke time was lady and goddesse That could her crafte so wonderly ê‘fourme All sodaynly a man for to transforme To haue the liknesse and lese his reason Of Horse of Bere Tygre or Lyon Wolfe or For or what her list deuise Her dreadful crafte was shapen in such wise So mighty were her straunge pocions Her letuaries and confections And she also so fayre vpon to se That tho her power no man might fle For by the worke of this sorceresse I was so founced vpon her fayrenesse That fynally thus with me it stode That all a yeare I with her abode And paynly had power none nor myght For to deparie neyther daye nor night So lusty was the life that I ladde In whych time by me a childe she had Right inly fayre and goodly to the syght And Thelagonius in sothnesse he hight Which afterwarde I wel reherse can By processe wexe a manly man And by my subtyll secret prouidence Of her crafte I had experyence That maugre her enchauntementes olde I stale awaye she might me not holde And fynally my fate to conclude With my connynge her crafte I can delude That with my men I scaped fro her hande And went at large fre out of her lande But all this thinge me litell did auayle For on my waye as I gan to sayle For all my sleyght in a litell whyle Yblowe was vp into an yle ¶ Where Calipha syster to Circes Was crowned quene held her sceptre iÌ„ peace Whose craftes were so mighty and so strong Maugre my will she held me there ful longe But she in sothe to speake of womanhede Of bounte fredome and of goodlyhead Surely had so soueraygne excellence That mine abode to me was none offence But who soeuer therat crye or clappe At the laste I scaped fro her trappe And came to an yle ryght as any lyne Which specyally through high power diuine Ordayned is of yore by myracle As it were a spirituall oracle A man to haue in a temple there Sodayne answere of what him list enquere Of questions and demaundes all And of soules what shall eke befall When men are dead and grauen vnder stone And I gan axe in the temple anone Mine auentures that should
also at theyr lust they had They gaÌ„ to saile and with theÌ„ home they lad Yong Exione and many a mayde mo That out of Troye into Grece go And sayling forth within a litell space They be escaped fro the sea by grace And vnto land aryued merely At whose commyng the Grekes vtterly So ioyfull be of theyr good spede And specially in Guido as I reade Theyr shyppes were w t golde treasour lade Wherof in herte they wexe wonder glade And for they had outward so well theÌ„ borne To ouerthrowe and haue so fewe ylorne Of theyr meyne they thanke theyr goddes al. And of the grace that to theym is fall For w t y e treasour y t haue they home brought Full many pore was made vp of nought Throughout y t laÌ„d there was such habuÌ„dauÌ„ce So much good and so great suffisaunce That no wight had among theim nede And many day this blessedfull lyfe they lede From yeare to yeare by reuoluciowne And for theyr manhod theyr high renowne Theyr honour ran round the world about That theim toffende many laÌ„de hath doubte For theyr knighthod for they were so wyse Vntill the storye last agayne deuise In this matter ferther to procede With the fauour of your goodlyhead I wil me rest for a lytel space And thaÌ„ vpborne w t supporte of your grace For taccomplishe as I you vndertoke And here an ende of the first boke I make now with quakyng hand for dreade Onely for feare of you that shall it reade Lest ye alas of hasty mocion Ne will not haue no compassyon Pytye nor routhe vpon my rudenesse Lowly besechyng to your gentilcesse Of mercye onely both nigh and ferre Where ye finde that I fayle or erre For to correcte or ye further flyt For to your grace I hooly all commit ¶ The Translatour complaineth the misfortune of the Troians in the losse of theyr City liuely describyng the tykle estate of Fortunes gouernaunce beginning in the same chapyter his secound boke persewing the matter of the sayd historye Ca. x. THe enuious ordre of fortunat meninge In worldly thynge false and flikerynge Nil suffer vs as in this present life To lyue in reste without werre or stryfe For she is blinde fikel and vnstable And of her course false and ful mutable Who sitteth highest she caÌ„ him downe encline WheÌ„ he least weneth and bring hym to ruine With the awaytes that gladly ben sodayne And with her face that parted is in twayne Shewe most hole whaÌ„ she is lest to tryst That well were him that her deceytes wist And her engines and her trappes knewe That in her courte euery daye be newe Of which in sothe I well affirme dare No mortall man may in this life beware For she vneuen peysing in balaunce With counterfete and fayned countenaunce With loâ—ing playn cheare of flatterye Vnwarely can do blere a mannes eye And him begile this the very sothe With a face blandishing and smothe When she hath him froÌ„ high degre made low Full falsly smile and make to him the mowe And yet somewhyle most varyaunt of hewe She vnto some pretendeth to be trewe For she whylom to some is fauorable And to some false and like deceiuable She can reise one and bring another downe This false lady of transmutacyowne To some she giueth renowne victorye And doth theym floure in honoure glorie And some she can appayre with false fame And giltles perde put a man in blame To some she is goodly and beninge And of disdeyne she can also malygne Agayne an other and make hym lowte lowe And froÌ„ their see she can great kinges throwe And theim auayle for all their high toures And she can plonge worthy Emperours From the hyll of hye prosperetye Into the vaile like of aduersytye The ryche emprishe of rancoure dysdayne And eft the pore she can enhauÌ„ce agayne This false goddesse with her eyen blinde Set one afore another goeth behinde And doth one renne maketh another halte And one she can high in riches exalte And an other plonge in pouertye In whom no man may haue securytye To some suger and hony she distilleth And to other some she the bottel fylleth With bytter gall mirre and aloes And thus this lady wilfull and rechles As she that is froward and peruers Hath in her seller drinkes ful diuers For she to some of fraude and of fallas Ministreth piment bawme and ypocras And sodeynly when the soote is past She of custome can giue him a cast For to conclude falsly in the fine Of bytter eysell and of egre wine And corrosynes that fret and perce depe And Narcotikes that cause men to slepe Thus she to theim that her can aproche After swete the bitter can a broche Thus in her reygne this quene of varyaunce Whose ioye alwayes fineth with mischaunce Who trusteth her she will him ouercast And him deceyue playnly at the last Of what estate soeuer that he be This double lady of mutabilitye Se here example of king Lamedon Whom she hath brought to confusion For litel cause and for a thing of nought Her crueltye he hath to deare abought Wherfore I reade euery man take hede To gin a quarell where as is no nede For litell fyre vnder ashes reke So may be kindled that it will out breake Into such flawme men may it not apease Who best can suffer moste shall haue his ease Therfore ye kynges and lordes euerychone Make you a myrroure of this Lamedone And be well ware to do no violence Vnto straungers when they do none offence Whan they come fer into this region Ne suffer theim by none oppression Within your bondes for to haue no wrong For in your owne though that ye be strong And mightye eke among your lieges all Another daye perauntre may befall That when that ye ful lytell thynke on it Of sodeyne case thus may ye be aquyt And ythanked in another place Of auenture where ye may fayle of grace Therfore when ye may any such espye Do theym good cheyre of your curtesye And prudently consyder in your witt That to a lorde of gentilnesse it syt To euery straunger goodly him to haue There is nothing may more his honour saue Than to refreshe them frely and disporte Than may they after good of him reporte By whose coÌ„trary hath much wo be wrought Afore this time if so it be well sought The first Troye thus vtterly destroyed And the people in sorowe and wo acloyed Lad into exyle a farre from theyr Cytye Lyuing in thraldome and captiuitye And Exyone as ye haue herde me tell Led into Grece with Thelamon to dwell For whoÌ„ there was as Guido caÌ„ you teache After take so great vengeaunce wreche On eyther parte that in very trouthe For to heare it is to great a routhe As in this boke ye may hereafter rede Ceryously if that ye list take hede For gladly aye by reuolusyon Of fatall thing by disposicion So enuyous
nor myght For what theim list be yt wronge or ryght They aye achieue who so sayth yea or nay Agayne whose lust defend him no man may ¶ Thus Guydo aye of cursed false delyte To speak theÌ„ harme hath caught an appetite Throughout his boke of women to say yll That to translate it is agayne my wll He hath aye ioye theyr honour to ramuerse And I ryght sorye that I must reherse The fel wordes in his booke yfounde To all women I am so mikle bounde They be echone so goodly and so kynde I dare of theim not say but as I finde Of Guydoes write throughout Troy booke For when I redde for feare my herte quoke And veryly my wyttes gan to fayle Whan I therof must maken rehersaile Like his decrete but Guydo now do wyte For ye shall heare anone how that he chit The quene Heleyne for cause that she went With herte deuoute her offryng to presente To the temple of Venus the goddesse Thus word by word he sayth to her expresse ¶ O mortal harme that most is for to dread A fraude ycast by sleyght of womanhead Of euery wo ginning crop and roote Agaynst whych helpe may no bote Whan lust hath dryue in theyr herte a nayle Aye deadly venim seweth at the tayle Which no man hath power to restreyne Recorde I take of quene Heleyne That inly brent alas in her desyres Of newe lust to dele with those straungers Whom she knewe nat ne neuer sawe beforne Wher through alas ful many meÌ„ were lorne Of cruel death embrased in a cheyne Without pyty now saye thou quene Heleyne What ghost or spyryte alas hath meued the Sole fro thy lorde in such royaltye Out of thy house to go among the prease Why were y u wery to liue at home in peace But wentest out straungers for to se Taking no hede vnto thine honestye Thou shuldest haue kept thy closet secretly And not haue passed out so folyly In the absence of thy lorde alas Thou were to wilful and rakel in this case To se afore what shuld after sewe For al to sone thou were draweÌ„ out of mewe That coulde not kepe at home tho thy bouÌ„dê Thou weÌ„test out as hare among y e houndes For to be caught of very wilfulnesse And thy desyre coudest not compesse For though thy lust lyst not to refrayne O many woman hath caught be in a trayne By goyng out such halowes for to seke It syt theim better at home for to kepe Close in theyr chaumber and fle occasyowne For neuer shyp shuld in peryl drowne Nor ryue on rocke nor be with tempest rente Nor with Caribdis dreached or yshent Nor to go to wrake with no wethers yll If it were kept in the hauen styll For who wil not occasyons eschewe Nor dread no peryll for it is to sewe He must nedely as by necessytie Or he beware endure aduersytie And who can not his fote fro trappes spare Let him take hede or he fall in the snare For harme ydone to late is to compleyne For if whylom the noble quene Heleyne Her selfe had kept at home secrete and close Of her there ne had be so wicke a lose Reported yet grene freshe and newe Whose chauÌ„ce vnhappi eche maÌ„ ought to rew That cause was of such destruction Of many worthy and confusyon Of her husband and many other mo On grekes syde and those of Troye also In this storye as ye shall after reade ¶ And so this quene as fast as she may spede To the temple hath the way ynome Full royally and whan that she was come Ful deuoutly within Citheron Made vnto Venus her oblacion In presence and syght of many one With many iewell and many ryche stone ¶ And wheÌ„ that Paris had this thing espied To the temple anone he hath him hyed Ful thriftely in all the hast he myght Wher he forthwith as he had a syght Of the goodly fayre freshe quene Cupides darte that is whet so kene Or he was ware hath him marked so That for astoned he nist what to do So much he meruayleth her semelinesse Her womanhead her porte and her fayrnesse For neuer erst ne wende he that nature Coud ought haue made so fayre a creature So aungellyke she was of her beaute So feminine so goodly on to se That sothly he her dempte as by liklynesse For her beaute to be some goddesse For so his herte did him aye assure That she ne was a mortall creature So heauenly fayre and so celestyall He thought she was in partye and in all And eft consydereth for auysely Her features all in ordre by and by So curyously aye in his reason Of euery thinge by good inspection Her golden heare like the sonne streames Of freshe Phebus with his bright beames The goodly heade of her fleshly face Full replete of beaute and of grace Ylike enewed with quickenes of coloure Both of the rose and the lyly floure So egally that nother was to wite Through none excesse of much nor of lite Within the cerclynge of her eyen bryght Was paradise compassed in her syght That through eche hert y e beaute gaÌ„ to perce And certaynly if so I shall reherce Her shape her fourme her features by by As Guydo doth by ordre ceryously From head to foote clearly to deuyse I want englyshe that therto may suffyse It wil not be our tunge is nothing like I want also the floures of Rethorike To sewe his flouryshyng or his peynture For to discryue so fayre a creature For so my coloures feble be and feynte That nother can ennewe nor wel depaynte Eke I am not acqueynted with no muse Of all the nine therfore I me excuse To you echone not all of neclygence But for defaute onely of eloquence And you remit to Guydo for to se How he descriueth by ordre her beaute To take on me it were presumpciowne ¶ But I wil tell how Parys vp and downe Gothe in the temple and his eye cast Towardes Heleyne and gan presen fast As he that brent hoote in loues fyre That was enflawmed greatly by desyre And oft he chaungeth couÌ„tenaunce cheare And euer he neygheth to her nere and nere Ydarted through with her eyen tweyne And in likewyse this freshe quene Heleyne As hote she brent in herte priuely Albe no man it outward could espye For as her thought she neuer erst to fore Of all men that euer yet were bore Se none so fayre nor like to her pleasaunce On him to loke was hartes suffysaunce For in the temple she taketh hede of nought But compasseth and casteth in her thought How she may catche some oportunitye With him to speake at further lybertye This hooly was all her busynesse For him she felt so inly great distresse That oft she chauÌ„geth couÌ„tenauÌ„ce hewe For Venus hath theim marked so of newe With her brondes fyred by feruence And enflawmed by sodayne influence That egally they brought were in rage And saue the eye atwene was
aforne For to their tentes they haue thē chased down That ne had be kyng Agamenowne Grekes had be driuen clene out of the fyelde The whiche thyng anon as he behelde He came vpon with many worthy man And tho of new the slaught agayne began On euery halfe vpon the large playne That grekes haue Troyans so be laine That efte agayne they haue the fyelde ywon So that Troyans canstrayned tho begon To lese their lande tyll Pollydamas Whiche with his knyghtes there besyde was Gan fall vpon endlonge on the grene Them of Troye full manly to sustene And the grekes he gan so to enchace Whan he came in that they loste their place And to the stronde euen vpon the see Thrugh his knyghthod he made thē for to fle Of their lyfe that they were in dread The whiche mischiefe whan that Diomede Behelde and sawe how Pollydamas Mortally pursued on the chase On horsebacke both and in the fyelde yfere With cruell herte hent anone a spere And spryngyng out rode to hym full ryght And he agayne tacquyte him lyke a knyght As he that lyste on no partye fayne Of his stede helde agayne the reyne ¶ And raught a spere threwe it in the rest And Dyomede he smote so on the breste That mortally lyke as it is founde He hym vnhorseth with a greuous wounde And ryght anone with a knightly herte Pollydamas all attones sterte Vnto the horse of this Dyomede And by the reyne proudely gan it lede ¶ Vnto Troylus where he on foote stode All forbathed in the grekes bloude On euery halfe whiche that he shadde Amonges them so knightly he him had That they ne myght endure nor sustene His sharpe sworde grounde was so kene ¶ And delyuer maugre all his foen Into the sadell vp he sterte anone Of very force armed as he was And vnwarely by aduenture or case With sharpe swerdes for the nones whette As Achylles and he together mette Worthy Troylus of rancour and of pryde Achylles smote that he fell a syde Downe of his horse lowe to the grounde And notw tstanding his grene mortal woūde He rose agayne and fast gan hym spede If that he myght recure agayne his stede But all for nought it wolde not auayle For sodaynly with a freshe battayle They of Troye as made is mencyon In compasewyse beset hym enuyron Eueryche of them armed bright and clene And Hector tho in his furious tene ¶ As Dares telleth all the maner howe The same daye a thousande knyghtes slowe Whiche them withstode onely in diffence For Achylles to maken resystence That tyme of death standyng in ieopardye That certaynly but yf that bokes lye By lyklyhode he myght not tho escape In that mischyefe to be dead or take Hector on hym was so furyous ¶ But as I read kyng Thelamonyus Rescued hym in this great nede And caused hym there to recure his stede Notwithstandyng all that it disdayne For he the duke and lorde of Athene Was in case of herte and hole entent To helpe Achylles wonder dylygent That with hym ladde many noble knyght ¶ But for bycause that it drewe to nyght As the storye maketh rehersayle They made an ende as of that battayle And they of Troye entred be the towne And after that as made is menciowne By and by hauyng no delayes Mortally they foughten thirtye dayes Without lette or interrupcyon On outher parte to great destruction But aldermost nathles their great pryde They lost most on the grekes syde ¶ Saue Pryamus lost in specyall Syxe of his sonnes called naturall For whom he made great dole and heuinesse And as the storye lyketh to expresse This mene whyle Hector in certayne In his face wounded was agayne And thus they haue in this cruell rage On euery parte receyued great domage Tyll Pryam hath from Troye sent downe For a trewes vnto Agamenowne For six monthes if he assente wolde And therupon he hath a counsayle holde With his lordes what were beste to do And they echone accorded be therto And graunte his axynge conclusyon ¶ And all this whyle within Ylyon Durynge the peas on outher parte assured Of his woundes fully to be cured ¶ Lay worthi Hector protector of the towne But of this ryche royall chefe doungeowne That Ilyon in Troye bare the name Whiche of buildyng had suche a fame If that I shuld commende it vp and downe As Dares doth in his discrypciowne I wante cunnynge my termes to aplye For in his boke as he doth specifye In all this worlde was there newe so ryche Of hyghe deuyse nor of buildyng lyche The whiche stode the more to delyte As he there sayth on twelue stones whyte Of Alabastre shortly to conclude And twenty pase was the latytude That grounde ypaued thrughout w t crystall And vp an hyght performed euery wall Of all stones that any man can fynde Of Dyamountes and of saphyres Inde The royall rubye so oryent and lyght That the derkenesse of the dymme nyght Enchaced was with the beames shene And euer amonge were emeraudes grene With stones all that any maner man In this worlde deuyse or recken can That were of pryse value or richesse Ther were wrought of large gret roūdnes As sayth Dares and Iuory the pyllers And thervpon set at the corners Of pured golde all aboue on hyght There were ymages wonder huge of weight With many perle and many ryche stone And euery piller in the halle had one Of massyfe golde burned clere and bryght And wonderfull to any mans syght For of this worke the merueylous fasshyon Was more lyke by estymacyon A thynge ymade and founded by fayrye Than any worke wrought by fantasye Through wytte of man as by lykelynesse For in his bokes Dares doth wytnesse That it was lyke to recken syght and all In apparaunce a thynge celestyall Seeth in this boke ye get no more of me For but in wrytynge I myght neuer it se Albe that it all other dyd excelle No more therof I thinke nowe to telle But to retourne agayne to Pryamus Whiche all this whyle was inly curyous With all his myght and his busy cure To ordeyne for the sepulture Of his sonnes that afore were dead ¶ And all that tyme sycke laye Dyomede With loues stripe wounded to the herte As he that felte inwardly the smerte Of woful syghes whiche in his brest abreide Full ofte adaye for loue of her Creseyde For he was shake with a feuer newe That caused hym to be full pale of hewe And to wexen megre poore and lene For pyteously he gan hym to abstene For meate and drynke and from all solace As it was sene in his deadly face And ofte a daye to her he wolde complayne Of his dissease and of his mortall payne Prayinge of grace that she wolde do se Vpon his woo for to haue pytye And of mercy for to taken hede Of her seruaunt onely of womenhead Or playnely elles there is no more to seye For her sake he sayde that he wolde
thy kinrede And do aduerte clerely to the fyne How thou art come of the same line And hatefull is who so can loke aryght Vnkinde bloud in euery mannes sight And Pyrrhus tho as any Tygre wrothe Afferme gan with many sacred othe That who so grutche or agaynst playne He shall hym sle with his handes twayne ¶ For hath not he by false extorsion ¶ Put Pelleus out of his regyon Whyche is your lorde and ye his trewe wyfe That fynally he shall lese hys lyfe And here anone of myne handes deye In this matter there is no more to seye And Pelleus darynge in the caue But ye of grace lyste his lyfe saue All other helpe platly is for nought This Pelleus anone forthe brought Croked and olde vnweldy eke to se And tofore Pyrrhus fell downe on hys kne Besechinge hym wyth a pyteous face At hys request take hym to hys grace ¶ And that he wolde in his manly herte Goodly beholde the deadly wo and smerte ¶ Of Atastus and the mortall payne That he tho hadde for his sonnes twaine Whiche lay dead tofore hym on the grene Slaine with your swerd y t is so sharpe kene Which he ne may recure in no wyse The sorow of which ought ynough suffyse Though ye on hym do no more vengeaunce All this well peysed iustly in balaunce Sith he is hooly submytted to your myghte Taketh now him to mercy anone ryght And let your sworde his age not consume This my request as I dare presume ANd then Pirrhus shortly for to sayne When he had put vp his sword agayne Seynge mercy myght him most auayle Without wordes or any rehersayle Fyrste of all tofore theim euerychone The kynges made accorden into one By his wysedome concludynge vp in dede That eche of theim shuld his right possede ¶ In Thesalye parted into twayne That neyther had matter to complayne Eueryche to reygne in his dewe see And while they were togyther all thre Out of presence of any other man ¶ Atastus fyrste thus his tale began ¶ Syres quod he to you is not vnknowe How through my age I am now brought so lowe And through natures kindly mocion Am wexed feble of wyt and of reason Beynge vnweldy of my lymmes all So many yeares are vpon me fall And can vnneth any thinge discerne To feble in sothe a kingedome to gouerne Of lyfe nor death takynge nowe no hede Sith that my sonnes slayne be and dead And sole lefte now withouten heyre Of worldly luste fully in dispeyre The tyme passed of my felycytye Fortunes tourne with mutabylytye Hathe taughte me playnlye I dare it well expresse In worldly ioye there is no sykernesse Nor very truste no while to abyde But I wyll now for my selfe prouyde And in all haste by prudent purueaunce Me clere discharge from all gouernaunce Agayne my sorte me list not maligne ¶ But sceptre and crowne frely I resigne Of Thesalye the lordship and the lande Of my fre will hole into thy hande There shall no man reclayme nor saye naye Interrupte nor make no delaye Touchinge this thinge by no conclusyon For I the put full in possession And hereupon of all that euer he abyde Makynge full fayth his hand in his he layde Quene Thetides syttynge there present And Pelleus of the same entent Vnto Pirrhus for his purpartye Resygned eke his ryght of Thesalye Fully affermynge that of yore ago His full desyre and his ioye also Was euer in one his neuewe to succede As ryghtfull heyre his kingdome to possede And vtterly without repentaunce All that belongeth vnto my lygeaunce Sceptre and sworde crowne and dyademe So as a kynge lyfe and death to deme Into thy hande without longer date This same houre holy to translate And when the knot of this conuencion Was fully brought to this concluson Perfourmed vp hole the vnyte For euermore atwene these kinges thre Atastus knightes disseuered enuyrowne Out of the forest be descended downe And by byddynge platly of theyr lorde They were echone sworne to this accorde And attones this lusty companye To Thesalye fast gan theim hye And Pirrhus folke lyinge on the sea Be sayled forthe streyght to the Cytye And Atastus doth sytte a parliament Where openly he gaue commaundement That all his lieges of hygh or lowe estate Wythout strife or any more debate Specially of gentyll bloud yborne The same daye to Pirrhus to be sworne Like theyr degrees in the royall hall To perseuer his trewe lieges all Durynge theyr lyfe for ernest or for game And Pelleus commaūded hath the same For his partye without any fraude And thus with ioye and with solempne laude Pirrhus was of euery maner age Gladly accepted to his heritage And on a daye fortunate and good With glad aspectes when the heuen stode Well accordynge to such maner thinge Worthy Pirrhus was ycrowned kinge Of Thesalye the riche regyon It were but vayne to make mencion Of theyr reuell nor theyr great arraye Nor of the feast made the same daye Eke in the story I finde it not in sothe I wyll passe ouer as mine auctour dothe Saue in his booke as it is specefyed That the kingdome was fer magnefyed Of Thesalye by puyssaunce and might Of this Pyrrhus whylom so good a knight Where I hym leaue in his royall see ¶ Tournynge agayne to kynge Ydumee Which in this while ygraue was vnder stone ¶ And after hym hys sonne Meeryone The story saith was crowned king of Crete That but awhyle reygninge in equyte Dyed also it wolde be none other ¶ And than in hast Leorica hys brother As rightfull heyre by successyon Was crowned kinge of that regyon ¶ In which tyme Atastus out of drede By thassent of Pyrrhus as I rede Full busy was to make in specyal A ryche toumbe passyngly royall Where buryed were with full huge prese ¶ Menalyppus and Polystenes That both two were in the forest slawe Thorugh Pirrhus swerde by full cruell law ¶ Of them can I none other processe make But euen there fully my tale I take Of them bothe and also eke yfere ¶ Of Atastus theyr owne father dere Of whome sothly for all hys lockes hore In Troye booke rede I can no more ¶ But now must I again to Pirrhus wende To wryte of him the sorye wofull ende Which whan he sat highest in his see Made full blinde with vayne prosperyte Gouerning tho the lande of Thesalye ¶ There hym betydde to fall in fantasye And to sette hys loue on Hermyon the quene ¶ Horestes wyfe reygnynge in Methene For whome he brent hote as any fyre And in fulfyllyng of hys foule desyre His purpose hole thus he brought aboute Her rauyshyng while her lorde was oute Tho led hir home and helde her as his wyfe Seminge to hym it was a blysfull lyfe And full relese of his paynes smerte ¶ Of whyche Horestes bare full heuy herte And caste hym playnely auenged for to be Whan he therto hath opportunyte And for that time though he susteined wrong ¶ He
wrought And his purpose fully about brought Of high wisedome set in his inwarde syght Inioyinge all that longeth to his ryght And highest syt of worthynesse in glorye With the Sceptre of conquest and victorye I praye god onely for bis beste ¶ When he hath al sette in peace and reste And is full put in clere possessyon Of all that longeth to his subiection To sende him home with triumphe honour As great as euer had any conquerour After longe in ioye and in quiete To rule and reygne in his royall sete Thus shall I aye there is no more to saye Daye and night for his exployte praye Of faythfull herte and of hole entente That whilom gaue me in commaundemente Not yore ago in his fathers tyme The syege of Troye on my maner to rime Most for his sake to speake in specyall Although that I be boystous and rurall He gaue me charge this storye to translate Rude of connynge called Iohn Lydgate Monke of Burye by profession Vsynge an habite of perfection Albe my lyfe accordeth not therto I feyne not I wot well it is so It nedeth not witnesse for to call Recorde I take of my brethren all That will not fayle at so great a nede ¶ And all that shall this noble storye reade I beseche of supporte and of grace Where I offende in any maner place Or wher soeuer that they find shal an errour Of gentylnesse to shewen their fauour And benyngly for to do their payne Hyt to correcte rather then dysdayne For wel wot I y t muche thyng ther is wronge Falsely metryd both of shorte and longe And if they shoulde haue of all disdayne It is no dreade my labour were in vayne Let ignoraunce and rudenesse me excuse For if that ye platly all refuse For certayne fautes whiche ye there shal finde I doute not my thancke is sette behynde For in the verse though there be ignoraunce Yet in the story ye fynde may pleasaunce Touching substaunce of y t mine auctour writ And though so be that any worde misse syt Amendeth it with chere debonayre For an errour to hyndre and appayre That is not sayde of purpose or malyce It is no worshyp to hym that is wyse And no wight gladly demeth so soone a lacke Specyally behynde at the backe As he in soth that can no skylle at all He goeth full hoole that neuer had a fall And I not fynde of newe nor of olde For to deme that is alway so bolde As he that is yblent with vnconnynge For blynde bayarde caste peryll of nothynge Tyll that he stumblyng fall amydde the lake And none so redye for to vndertake Than he in sothe nor bolder to saye werse That can no skylle on prose nor yet on verse And of all suche that lysten not be styll I lyttell forse where they saye good or yll For vnto them my booke is not directe But to all suche as lyste haue in effecte On symple folke full compassyon That goodly can by their correction Amende a thynge and hyndre neuer adele Of custome aye ready to saye wele FOr he that was grouÌ„de of well sayinge In all his lyfe hyndred no makyng My maister Chaucer y t founde ful many spot Hym list not pynche nor grutche at euery blot Nor meue hym selfe to perturbe his reste I haue herde tolde but sayde alway the beste Sufferynge goodly of his gentilnesse Full many thynge embraced with rudenesse And if I shall shortly hym discriue Was neuer none to thys daye alyue To reken all bothe of yonge and olde That worthy was his ynkehorne for to holde And in thys lande yf there any be In borough or towne vyllage or Cite That connyng hath his tracys for to sewe Where he go brode or he be shet in mewe To hym I make a full dyreccyon Of thys boke to haue inspeccion Besechinge theim with theyr prudent loke To race and scrape through out al my boke Voyde and adde where theim seineth nede And though so be that they not ne reade In all this boke no Rethorikes newe Yet this I hope that they shall finde al trewe The storye playne chiefly in substaunce And who so lyst to se the varyaunce Of worldly thinge wrought by dayes olde In this boke he maye full well beholde Chaunge of fortune in her course mutable Selde or not faythfull other stable Lordes Princes from her royalte Sodaynly brought in aduersyte And kinges eke plounged in pouerte And for theyr dread daringe in deserte Vnware slaughter compassed of enuye Murdre conspyred by conspyracye Awayte layinge falshede and treason And of kingedome sodayne reuersyon Rauyshinge of women for delyte Roote of the werre and mortall despyte False mayntenaunce of auoutrye Many worthy causynge for to dye Sinne aye concludinge who so taketh hede Vengeaunce vnware for his finall mede TO declare that in all worldly luste Who loke aryght is but litell truste As in this boke example ye maye finde If that you list enprinte it in your minde How all passeth and halt there no soioure Wastinge awaye as doth a somer floure Riche and pore of euery maner age For here our life is but a pilgramage Meynt with laboure and with muche wo That if men would taken hede therto And eke tofore prudently aduerte Litell ioye he should haue in his herte To sette theyr truste in any worldly thinge For there is nother prince lorde nor kynge ¶ By example of Troye as ye may see That in this lyfe maye haue full surete ¶ Therfore to him that starfe vpoÌ„ the roode Suffrynge deth for our alder good Lyfte vp your hartê thinke on him amonge For be ye neuer so myghty not so gronge Without hym al that may not auaile For he can gyue victorye in battayle And holde a fyelde shortly to conclude With a fewe agayne great multytude And by his grace he maketh prynces stronge And worthy kynges for to reygne longe And these Tyrantes sodeynely oppresse Throwe theÌ„ downe for al their great richesse And in his hande power he reserueth Eche to acquyte lyke as he deserueth To whom I praye with all deuocyon With all myne herte and hole affection That he lyste graunt longe contynuaunce Prosperytye and good perseueraunce Helthe welfare victorye and honour Vnto that noble myghty conquerour ¶ Henry the fyfthe tofore especyfyed So that his name maye be magnefyed Here in this lyfe vp to the sterres clere And afterwarde aboue the nynth sphere Whan he is dead for to haue a place This praye I god for to sende him grace At whose byddynge as I tolde late Fyrste I began the syege to translate ¶ And now I haue holy in his honoure Full executed the fyne of my laboure Vnto all that shall this storye se With humble herte and all humilyte This lyttell booke lowely I betake It to supporte and thus an ende I make ¶ Of the most noble excellent Prynce kynge Henry the fyfthe MOst worthy Prynce of knighthode soures and welle Whose highe renowne
language As in the latyn and the frenshe it is That of the storye we the truthe not mys No more than doth eche other nacion This was the fine of his entencion ¶ The which emprise anon I ginne shall In his worshyp as for memoryall And of the tyme to maken mencion Whan I began on this translation It was the yeare sothly for to seyne Fourtene complete tho of his fathers reygne The time of yeare shortly to conclude Whan .xx. grees was Phebus altitude The hour whā he hath made his stedes draw His rosen chariet lowe vnder the wawe To bathe his beames in the wawy sea Gresed lyke golde as men myght playnly se Passyng the bordure of our Occion And Lucina of coloure pale and wan Her colde arisynge in Octobre dyght Tenchase the darkenes of the frosty nyght That then amiddes was of the Scorpion And Hesperus gan fast to wester down Her course to haste againe the morowe gray When Lucifer the nyght to voyd away The messenger is called of the day Our hemispher to put out of Affray With bright kalēdes of Phebus vprist shene Out from y e boundes of Proserpin y e quene Where Pluto dwelleth the darke region And there the furyes haue theyr mansion Tyll after soone Apollo lyst not tarye To take his soiourne in the Sagittarye ¶ Which time I gan the prologue to behold Of Troye boke ymade by dayes olde Where written was of Auctours vs beforne Of al the dede the very trewe corne So as it fell seuered from the chaffe For in their hande they holde as for a staffe The truth onely which they haue compyled Vnto this fyne that we were not begiled Of necligence thorough foryetfulnesse The which serpent of age by longe processe Engendred is fiersely vs to assayle And of the trouth to maken vs to fayle For nere writers all were out of minde Not storyed onely but of nature and kinde The true knowing shuld haue gon to wrake And our wittes from scyence put abacke Ne had our elders serched out and soughte The sothfast pythe to impe it in our thought Of thinges passed fordyrked of theyr hewe Which through the writing be refreshed new Of Aūceters and left to vs be hynde To make a myrrour onely to our minde To se eche thinge truly as it was As bright and cleare as it were in a glasse For nere theyr writynge nowe memoryall Death w t his swerde shuld haue slayne all And ydimmed with his sodayne showres The great prowesse of these conquerours And derked eke the brightnesse of their fame That shineth yet by reporte of her name For vnto vs their bokes represent Without fayninge the waye that they went In theyr dayes when they were alyue Agayne the trouth who so euer striue Or counterplede or make any debate The south is redde of high or lowe estate Without fauour who so lyst take hede For after death clerkes litell drede Of theyr deserte for to beare wytnes Nor of a tyraunt the truthe to expresse ¶ As men deserue without excepcion With lak or pris they graūt their guerdon Wherfore me semeth euery maner man Shulde by his lyfe in all that euer he can For vertue sake eschewe to do amys For after death playnly as it is Clerkes willlyn write and except none The playne trouth when a man is gone And by olde time for theyr writinge trewe They cheryshed were of lordes y t thē knewe And honoured greatly as in tho dayes For they enacted and gilt with theyr sayes Theyr high renowne their māhod prowes Their knighthod eke and theyr worthines Their trihumphes al and eke their victories Their famous cōquest their fonge glories ¶ Fro point to poynt rehersinge all y e trouth Without fraude neclygence or slouth They did theyr labour and theyr besinesse For elles certayne the great worthinesse Of all theyr dedes had bene in vayne For dyrked age elles would haue slayne By length of yeares the noble worthy fame Of conquerours and playnly of theyr name For dimmed eke the letters aureat And eke deffaced the palme laureat Which y t they wan by knighthod ī their dayes Whose freting ruste newe and newe assayes For to eclipse the honour and the glory Of highe prowes which clerkes in memory Haue truly set through dilygent laboure And enlumined with many curious floure Of Rethorike to make vs comprehende The trouth of all as it was tho kinde Bysied them and faithfully trauailed Agayne all that that age wold haue assayled In theyr bokes euery thinge yset And with the key of remembraunce is shet Which lasteth yet and dureth euer in one Recorde of Thebes that was so longe agone Of which the ruyne and destruction Ye may beholde by good inspection Croppe and roote right as it was in dede On Stace loke and there ye may it rede Howe Polynece and Eteocles The brethern two ne could not liue in peace Till Thebes brought was to his ruyne And all the maner howe they diden fyne That death also of worthy Tideus And howe Edipp with teares full pyteous Wept out his eyen and all his drery payne And how y e smokes departed were in twaine At the feast of fyres funerall In great Stace ye may reden al. The syre engendred by brotherly hatred Where through y e deathe was the cruel mede ¶ In very sothe of many worthy man Lyke as mine Auctour well rehearse can Of Troye also that was of latter yeares By diligence of these Cronycleres Ye may beholde in theyr writinge well The strife werre the siege and euery dell Right as it was so many yeares sin passed Whose storye yet age hath not diffaced Nor cruell deathe with his mortall strokes For maugre death ye may beholde in bokes The storye fully rehersed newe and newe As freshe as floure of coloure and of hewe From day to day quicke and nothinge feinte For clerkes haue this storye so depeynt That death nor age by any other weye The trouth may not make for to deye ¶ Al be that some haue the trouth spared In their wrytynge and playnty not declared So as it was nor tolde out faythfully But it transformed in theyr poesy Through vayne fables which of entencion They haue contriued by false transsumptiō To hide trouth falsly vnder cloude And the sothe of malyce for to shroude As Homer did the which in his writinge I feyned hath full many dyuers thynge That neuer was as Guydo lyst deuise And thinges done farre in anotherwise He hath transformed then the trouth was And feyned falsly that goddes in this case ¶ The worthy Grekes helpe to warrey Agayne Troyens how that they were sey Lyke lyfely men among theym day by day And in his dytyes that were freshe and gay With sugred wordes vnder hoony sote His galie is hyd lowe by the roote That it may not outward be aspyed And all for he with Grekes was alyed Therfore he was to theym fauorable In much thyng whych is not commendable Of theym that lust to
lykely for to fade And whan she came the grekes for to glade The halle in soth she walketh vp and downe Of womanhede and pure affectiowne To make chere vnto these gestes newe And thus Medea with her rosen hewe And with the freshnesse of the lyllye whyte So entermedled kyndly by delyte That nature made in her face sprede So egally the white with the rede That the medlynge in conclusyon So was ennewed by proportion That fynally excesse was there none Of one nor other for both two in one So ioyned were longe to endure By the empresse that called is nature For she her made lyke to her deuise That to beholde it was a paradyse In verye soth bothe to one and all Of olde and yonge that sytten in the hall Therto she was as by successyon Borne to be heyre of that regyon After her father by discent of lyne If she abyde and dure after his fyne Syth he ne had by ryght to succede One heyre male that I can of reade She was also the boke maketh mencion Were vnto yeres of discretion Able for age maryed for to be And not withstondynge also eke that she Was of beaute and of womanhede One of the fayrest that I can of read Yet none of bothe haue her youth let That to clergy was her desyre set So passyngly that in speciall In all the artes called lyberall She was expert and knowynge at the beste It was her vre to konne what her lyste Of suche a woman herde I neuer telle At Helicon she dranke so of the welle That in her tyme was there none semblable I founde in sothe ne none that was so hable As to conceyue by studye and doctrine And of natures to dispute and termine She coude also and the causes fynde Of althinges formed as by kynde She had in lernyng so her tyme spente That she knewe of the fyrmament The trewe course and of the sterres all And by their meuynge what that shulde fall So was she lerned in astronomye But moste she wrought by nycromancye With exorsismes and coÌ„iuracions And vsed also to make illusyons With her charmes sayde in sondrye wyse And with rytes of diuers sacrifyse Encens and ryches caste into the fyre To shewe the thynges lyke to her desire With gootes hornes and with milke blude Whan the mone equat was and stode In the fyfthe or in the syxte house And was fortuned with lokyng gracious To these an houre that were conuenient And fortunate as by enchauntement To make and worke sundry apparences So well she knewe the heauenly influences And aspectes bothe wrothe and glade For she by them all her thynges made That apperteyne to suche experimentes For whan her lyst by her enchauntementes She coude make the wyndes for to blowe To thondre lighten and to haile snowe And frese also to greue men with payne And sodeynely she coude make to rayne And shewe what wether that her list to haue And gasten men with sodeyne erth quaue And tourne the daye vnwarely vnto nyght And then anone make the sonne bryght Shewe his beames full persyng ful shene With golden hornes to voyde nyghtes tene And reise y e floodes w t many a dredful wawe And whaÌ„ her list she coude them eft w tdrawe Eke yonge trees to sere roote and rynde And afterward make them againe in kinde With lusty braunches blome budde newe Also in wynter with floures freshe of hewe Aray the yerth and tapyte hym in grene That to beholde a Ioye it was to sene With many colour shewynge full diuers As whyte and rede grene ynde and pers The deysy with her ryche perled crowne And other floures that winter made frowne Vpon their stalke freshly for tappere And sodeynely with a deadly chere She coude somer into winter tourne Causynge the daye with mystes for to mone And olde men she coude make yonge And efte agayne or any here was spronge She coude them shewe both in head berde Ful hore and graye in crafte so was she lerede And trees w t fruite she coude also make bare Of rinde and leafe to do men on them stare Eclipse the mone and the bryght sonne Or naturally they had theyr course yronne To them apropred which they mai not passe For if that Tytanes course by kindly trase Whan so he meueth vnder the clyptik lyne The clipse mott folow as auctours list diffine So that there be by their discription Of bothe twayne full coniunction And that the sonne with his beames red Haue his dwellyng in the dragones head And the mone be set eke in the tayle As by nature than it maye not fayle That there must fall eclyps of veary nede In sondry bokes like as ye may read Bycause of certayne interfecacions Of diuers circles and reuolucions That maked ben in the heauen alofte Whiche causen vs for to fayle ofte Of the freshe and comfortable stremes That be vs shad from Phebê° bryght bemes For so the mone hath made deuisyon By this sodeyne interposicion That of our syght the stremes visuall May not beholde nor yet ysene at all Nor to our luste fully comprehende How Phebus in his chaire is cheuansende As we were wonte aforehande for to see But of all this the great Ptholome Kyng of Egypt telleth the causes why Within his boke and that compendiously Bothe of Eclyps and coniunction And why they fall by naturall mocion But of Medee though this clerke Ouyde T encrease her name vpon euery syde Lyst suche thynges in his fables tell Though he of poetes was the spryng well Yet god forbede ye shulde gyue credence To suche feynyng or do so hyghe offence Sith of nature it must be denyed Al suche affirmyng and likewise be diffyed Of euery christien stedfast in beleue For certainly it wolde hyghly greue Our conscience in any wyse to wene Agaynst kynde whiche is so hye a quene That any wight or lyuynge creature Shulde haue power I do you plaine assure So cursed thynges supersticious To do or worke to kynde contrarious ¶ For god almyghtye Iudge of Iudges all Hath sette a lawe the whiche may not falle Amonge planettes eternally tendure Afore ordeyned in his eternall cure The whiche may not as clerkes lyst termine Vpon no syde bowen nor declyne But as they were from discorde or debate Eternally yformed and create Through the fynger of his sapience Alway to meue in their intelligence Lyke as they be to his lordshyp bounde For neuer yet was eclyps yfounde The mone not beinge inconiunction As I haue tolde saue in the passyon The which eclyps was tho against kinde Nature her knot that tyme lyst vnbynde Whan goddes sonne starfe vpon the roode The sonne of lyfe was derked for our good Whan heauen and erth w t hye compunction Haue sygnes shewed of lamentacion By earthquakes light tourned to derkenes And dead bodies vpwarde gan them dresse From their tombes againe from deth to liue Stone and rocke a sonder gan to
hede That shuld haue died ne had she be thy read Of thy conquest she was the very cause That I may not shortly in a clause Write her bountie nor briefly comprehende Effectually perfourmed to the ende At wordes fewe ne may it not be tolde Thrugh whom y u hast the riche flese of golde Manly conquered which withouten doubte Vnlikely was that to haue brought about For whan thou were of helpe tho destitute She was thine only comforte and refute And with all this thou maiest it not denye All erthly honour how she gan defye The to conserue out of all heuinesse And eke her father hath of his richesse So enpeyred that pitie is to here By whose example women may well lere How they shuld faith or trusten on any man Alas Medea that so mykle can Both of sterres and of astronemye Yet sawe she not afore her destinye Loue hath her put so out of gouernayle That al her crafte ne myght her not auayle She was to slowe by calculation To caste afore the constellation Of her birthe and eke her wofull fate For rekleshed she sawe it all to late But I suppose her connyng was fallyble And doubtles as me semeth incredible For if she had wiste of it toforne So piteously she had not now be lorne As ye shall se hereafter hastely So as the story teacheth by and by How it befell of Iason and Medee But fyrst ye shall the maner holly see How she gan wirche for after he was swore The same night alas she hath forbore Her maydenhead and that was great pitie And yet she mente naught elles but honestye As I suppose she went haue be his wyfe But touchyng that I holde as now no strife And yet one thing I dare afyrme and sayne That both so the meaning of these twayne Ne was not one but wonder fer atwene For all that she truely gan to meane Of honeste thynkyng no outrage Like as a maide all innocent of age He to perfourme his fleshly false delight And to acheue his fylthy appetite Wrought euery thing to her entent contraire Alas that she was tho so debonaire As for to truste vpon his curtesye Or to acquite her of her gentery So hastely to rewe vpon his smarte But women ben so pytefull of herte That they wyll gladly shewen petie all When in mishappe they se a man is fall And saue his lyfe rather than he shoulde dye And so Medea shortly for to seye Castyng no peryll after that shall fall But his desyres and his lustes all Holy obeyeth with all her full might And that so longe almoste that the night Hath his course rounde about gone At whiche tyme thus spake to her Iason And lowly sayde my lady it is time That we aryse for soone it wyll be pryme Ye may see well the day beginneth to springe For we may here howe the byrdes synge Prayinge to you in all my beste wyse How I shall worke that ye lyste deuyse And ceriously in euery thyng dispose I you beseche o goodly freshe rose Myne enterpryse to bring vnto an ende And than at erst fro hense will I wynde Saue that I thincke first with you to treate In what maner ye shall this countrey lete And into Grece repaire agayne with me Whiche is a lande of great felicitie For trusteth wel and be nothyng adrede Into that reygne with me I shall you lede After my conquest if so be that I wynne Wherfore I pray you goodly to begynne How I shall worke in all the hast we may For in good fayth anone it wil be daye ¶ To whom she spake saying as ye shal here Myn owne Iason and vnto me more deare Than is my selfe as in conclusyon I am assented with ful affection Of all my wittes and with my hole herte You to enfourme how ye shall asterte Euery daunger of that lytell yle If it so be ye lyst bide a whyle And vp she rose in all the haste she maye And to a cofer where her treasour laye She wēt anone and brought him in her hōde A ryche ymage of syluer that she fonde Which sothely was of meruaylous entayle Whose power was and vertue to auayle Effectually to her both entent Agayne all magik and enchauntement And to with syt the force of Sorcerye For it was made so by Astronomye In houre chosen equat for the nones By clerkes olde that full long agone is Whilom whā they were flouring ī their ages That they vsed to make such ymages As did the kyng called Thelomee And so to Iason wylled hath Medee To beare this ymage on hym pryuely As ye haue herd to worke effectually In euery thynge as she dyd assygne And then she toke to hym a medycine Made as in maner of an oyntment Hym to enoynt that he be not brent That was more riche precious thā bawme Agayne the malyce of eche fire and flawme And after that she toke to hym anone A ryche rynge wherin was set a stone That vertue had all venym to destroye That on no syde it myght hym not anoye The which stone had furthermore this might That yf a man coude it beare aright Within his hand next the skyn enclosed The strength of syght shuld be deposed Of theim that would gasen or beholde For who so euer in his hand it holde By such vertue as was infallyble The storye sayeth he was inuysible The which stone these prudent clerkes call Achates most vertuous of all And it is founde sothly in Cecile Of which stone whylom wrote Virgyll Now that Venus it to Eneas sente First whan that he into Cartage went ¶ And after this she to Iason toke A certayne byll wrytten lyke a boke That to his Iourney myght much auayle And bad him wysely that he not ne fayle If he bethought him graciously to spede First of all the scripture that he rede Or he the Ram touche in any wyse Him charging eke afore this hye empryse With humble hert and great deuocion That he knelyng saye that oryson That vp and downe was wrytten on the bill Praying the goddes lowely to fulfyll His request and mercy for to haue Of very pitye from mischiefe him to saue And after that for his chiefe socoure She toke to hym a vyoll with lycoure And bad him manly without feare or drede When that he come vnto the bulles reade If he hym cast knightly to escape That as fast as he seeth theim gape Into theyr golles that he the lycour caste Than hym nede but lytel of theim gaste For theyr iawes togither it shall glyewe That on no syde they shall not eschewe To bide his lust in what hym lyst constreyne For doubtles maugre al theyr busye peyne He shall theim daunte therw t make so tame That where hym list in earnest or in game He myght theym make louten and encline And do theym bowen both in backe chyne The lycour shall theyr iawes so coharte That lyghtly they shall not a sundre parte
gladnesse Of his knighthode and his highe prowesse Of his renowne and his manlyhede Of his expleyte and of his good spede And that fortune to encrease his name Hath caused him with so noble fame Out of Colchos with honour to repayre Albe his chere was vtterly contraire To his entent that euer he came agayne But for all that with face hole and playne He welcomed hym but al against his herte Full sore astoned that he euer asterte The auentures of Colchos peryllous And is retourned so victorious But couertly his treason for to hyde All delaye he gan to sette asyde And to Iason with chere full benyng His heritage fyrste he gan resygne Septre and crowne and kingdome at y e leste For to perfourme the summe of his beheste Like as he was assured by his bonde And Iason toke all into his honde And gan his vncle in full lowe manere First to thanke with all his herte entere ¶ And after that ful knightly gan him pray Goodly to here what that he wolde saye Of a mattere that fret his herte sore From daye to daye encreasyng euer more Besechyng hym to graunt hym audience Touchyng a wronge and a vyolence Done vnto hym whan he no harme ne ment In Troye lande to Colchos as he wente This is to saye the kynge of Troye towne Within the bondes of his region Whan I and myne in great aduersitye With winde and wether fordryuen in the sea Vs to refreshe to lande dyd aryue Not in purpose with hym for to stryue But for to rest vs after all our wo A lytell whyle and forth anone to go For we in sothe no maner harme ne thought But he vnkyngly of very malyce sought Agaynst vs to fynde occasyon Byddyng in haste to voyde his region Notwithstanding that we come in peace Lyke as my brother knoweth Hercules Vnto no wyght doyng no distresse Wherfore we praye to your hygh noblesse To our purpose for to condiscende Of whiche platly this the fynall ende That we be sette in full conclusyon Hooly to worke to his destruction Lyke our auowe whan we thense went If it so be ye goodly lyste assent And all at ones strongly and not spare Maugre his myght to Troye for to fare So that we may fynde in you fauoure Vs to refreshe with golde and with treasure And only eke of our curtesye Vs strength also with your cheualrye ¶ And Pelleus without more abode Anone as he this matter vnderstode Assented is of herte and wyll also In this voyage with theim for to go And all the worthy of that regyowne Kynges Dukes and Lordes of renowne Be accorded there is not one saieth naye To go with theim and helpe what they may And of this iourney chiefe solicitour Was Hercules the worthy conquerour ¶ And he in haste his retenewe to make Towarde Spartos hath the way take Whiche is an yle to Grekes pertinent Fully obeying to their commaundement In whiche Pollux and Castor eke also The worthy kingê the mighty brothern two Were as I fynde that tyme gouernours And bare their crowne like noble werreours And brothern weren also vnto Eleyne And as poetes lyketh for to fayne That Iupiter for all his deyte Vpon Leda begat them all three That in beautie all other dyd excelle And as for Eleyne lyke as bokes telle Conceyued was in Tyndarys the yle Vnto the londe ioynyng of Cecyle Therfore of some I fynde that she is After the yle called Tyndaris Of their byrth me lyst no more to endite But forthe I thyncke of Hercules to wryte That hath besought these noble kingê twain With mighty hande to do their busy payne Only to graunte with him for to wende To Troye warde shortly this the ende And to assente they saye not ones nay With all the power that they catche may Againe what tyme that him lyst assygne And Hercules with chere full beninge Thanked them of that they him behyght And forth he wente in all the haste he might Toward Messene the stronge mighty londe Within whiche the noble king he fonde The knightly man the worthy Thelamon Lorde and prynce of that region That in armes was one the manlyest That was a lyue and egall with the beste And whan he knew that Hercules was com For ioye he hath hym in his armes nome And him receyued in all maner thynge Lyke as it sat to a worthy kyng And whan he wiste sothly what he mente Without more anone he dyd assente With hym to gone Troyens for to greue And Hercules goodly toke his leue And hym enhasteth to Thesalye agayne To Pelleus and telleth hym certayne Howe he hath spedde besechynge hym also In all the haste that it may be do Letters to sende and all his lordes call And to assemble his worthy knyghtes all Thrughout his laÌ„d y t were both nigh ferre Suche as he knewe y t were experte in werre And them also that were of counsayle sage For wyt of them that be yronne in age Is more than force without experience But whan manhode is mente with sapience Who loketh well it may double auayle And they that longe haue vsed to trauayle Lyke as it is playnly to suppose May helpe moste our iourney to dispose For vnto age experience and wytte To youth force and hardinesse sytte And whan that both be of one entent Fully accorded to worken by assent With a quarell grounded vpon ryght Thrugh helpe of grace y t hath treble myght TheÌ„ nede not drede with spere nor w t shelde In knyghtly wyse for to holde a feilde For of knighthode the fame and the glory Nor in armes conquest nor victory Be not assured vpon multitude But on manhode so grace lyste conclude ¶ Therfore let vs for to auenge our wrong First with right make our selfe stronge And efte our force manly for to shewe Of knyghtes chose taken out a fewe And so auoyde encombraunce of numbre And so we shall our foes beste encombre And of all that that Hercules hath sayde Kyng Pelleus was tho right well apayde For as him thought his counsaile was righte good And Hercules without more abode Is in great haste with his meine gon To a prouince that called is Pilon In whiche there was a duke of noble fame And as I fynde Nestor was his name Full renowmed and stronge of chiualrye And he was eke of kinred and allye To Hercules and of the same bloud And whan that he plainly vnderstode The purpose hole and cause of his coming He graunted hym without more taryinge To go hym selfe with hym in this voiage With all the worthy of his baronage And to be ready agayne a certayne daye And Hercules as faste as euer he maye Repaired is ayen to Thesalye Where gathered was holy the nauye Of the lordes full redy apparayled Well enarmed and rychely vitayled ¶ And Pelleus hath taken fyrste the sea And euery lorde lyke to his degree Yshypped is and ready for to gon With Hercules and also with Iason Their behestes
the werre ful oft vpon him toke Of his knighthode many high empryse As the storye lyke after shall deuyse ¶ And in his boke like as wryte Vergile The poete olde w t soueraintye of style How that the king Pryam had also By Hecuba other sonnes two And by recorde of this Vergelius The one was named Pollidorus Whom Priamus in his grene youthe When that y e cominge was of Grekes kouth To Troyewarde in all the haste anone With golde treasour and many ryche stone Hath sent him forthe besyde vnto a kinge Of ful great trust to haue him in kepyng Till tyme he sawe what conclusyowne There shuld befall after of the towne And eke what fine the werres shoulden take That vpon theym the Grekes tho did make But thilke kyng of false couetyse Of his treasour that ye haue herde deuyse Whan that he sawe fortunes varyaunce Toward Pryam and his vnhappy chaunce Lyke a tyraunt and murderer also The childes throte made do cutte a two And after that he full of crueltye Made his men to burye him priuelye That no man might his treason vnderstond Besyde a sea depe vnder the strond ¶ The other sonne also that I of reade In Vergile called was fayre Ganimede Whom Iupiter hath in a forest hente Vpon a daye as he on huntinge wente And bare him vp aboue the sterres clere And in the heauens made him butlere Eternally with hym to wonnen there In stede of Hebes his owne daughter dere ¶ The fyrst doughter of kyng Pryamus Was hoote Creusa as sayeth Vergilius In his Eneydos sothely as it was And she was wedded vnto Eneas And eke this storye sayeth that this Enee Was wonderfull in his natyuytye Of whom the father as I fynde doubtles Was in his tyme called Anchyses That hym begat on Venus the goddesse For after her he was of such fayrnesse That to no wyght could neuer yet be se A man that was more passyng of beautye Of whom this storye touchyng his workyng Shall you declare many wonder thyng For it is he to whom so great a loos Vergyle hath giue in his Eneydos For he that booke in worshyp of Enee Compyled hath like as ye may se Of his knyghthood and many strong batayl By hym acheued before he wan Itayle Full long time after that the royall towne Of Troy was brought to his confusiowne And of his conquest yf ye lyst take hede In this poete ye may by ordre reade And how in armes he wrought in al his age And of his comyng also to Cartage Fro Troywarde within a litell while Al this ye may behold in great Vergile ¶ Another doughter also it is founde Kyng Pryam had of birth the secound Called Cassandra of ful great sadnesse And was in maner a diuineresse And in eche arte had experience Of thynges future fully the prescience To tell afore what that shall betide Of whom the fame sprang in costes wide Which kept her chaste aye in virginitye And eke in prayers and in honestye She led her life and in deuocion After the rites and the religyon Of Pagynisme vsed in tho dayes The obseruaunces keping of their layes ¶ The third doughter hight Pollicene Yongest of all and stil a mayde cleane She kept her selfe honest in her lawe Vnto the time that Pirrus hath her slawe Of shape of fortune was neuer by nature Wrought to beholde a fayrer creature Eke as I fynde this noble kynge also Hadde thirty sonnes the boke saith no mo Hardy in armes and noble founde at all That called were his sonnes naturall And they were all exceptinge neuer one Worthy knyghtes and manly men echone And their names who so lyste to knowe He shall them fynde wryte vpon arowe After in story eueryche after other Begynnyng fyrst at the eldest brother ¶ And whiles Pryam at the syege laye Tofore the castell to gette it if he may And therabout hath many way sought The wofull tydynges be vnto him broughte How the grekes haue taken Troye towne And slayne his father worthy Lamedowne And how the Citie of olde foundaciowne Full piteously was tourned vp so downe The worthy lordes and gentle men echone Taken and slayne and ylefte not one Of them a lyue through Grekes crueltie After the ruyne alas of their Citie And Exion his owne syster dere Lad in exyle with her eyen cleare ¶ Wherfore the kyng in herte astoned so For very sorowe he nist what to do His sodayne wo gan hym so constrayne He sobbeth wepeth that of mortall payne He thought his herte wolde a sondre breste Of hye distresse for he myghte haue no reste And into teares he gan him selfe destylle That for to deye was fynally his wyll ¶ And fortune that can so falsly varye With drery herte gan bytterly to warye That she to hym was so deceyuable So inly cruell and vnmercyable So dispyteous and so sterne of face So vengeable and so deuoyde of grace For of enuy with a raged thought She hath hir worst of malis on hī wrought And felly shewed what she myght do That in this worlde was neuer wight so wo. As I suppose of no maner of age To reaken all her harmes and damage For whiche anone in all that euer he maye In hast he chaungeth all his ryche araye Tryste and heuy with deadly face pale So astoned with this mortall tale That his desyre was to haue be dead With countenance enclined and with head This lyfe he lad and clad him all in blacke And sodaynly he the syege brake And wolde as tho no lenger there abyde But with his folke anone he gan to ryde That pyteously gan likwise w t him morne And toward Troy attones they efte returne ¶ And whan that he hath the Cyty founde Plaine with the soyle euen w t the grounde The hye walles whylom thicke and longe Ybeate downe that made were so stronge And his toures and paleys pryncypall That was in buildyng so excellent royall So famous ryche and of great noblesse He founde tourned into wyldernesse His people slayne his syster ladde awaye For very wo he ne wyste what to saye For the constraynt of his aduersytie And for his harmes that wyll not cured be For in that time he was right fully sure Vpon no syde there foūde might be recure Wherfore he can nought do but sobbe wepe And fro his brest w t syghes sought full dede Broken out with pale and dead visage And thus alas in this furious rage Full pyteously all his hooste and he Without respite continued dayes three Tyll at the laste the darke skyes blacke Gan of their wo in partye for to slacke And the tempest some deale gan withdrawe And of their wepynge blādyshe gan y e wawe And whan the floode of wo is ouer paste The ebbe of ioye folowe must in haste To sorowe euer it wolde their hertes shende And at a terme euery wo must ende for though for frēdes mē may wepe wayle After their deth their teares
fyght Our tunge appese by māhod preue or might Worde is but winde and water that we wepe And though the tempest and of fluddes depe Of this two encrease euer mo They may not do but augment our wo. And to our foon therof when they here Both of our dole and our heauy chere All is to them but encrease of ioye Wherfore brother a whyle do acoye The cruel tourment that byndeth you so sore For in prouerbe it hath be sayd full yore That the prowesse of a manly knyght Is proued most in mischyefe and his myght To be assured in aduersitee Strongly susteyne what wo that it be Not cowardly his courage to submytte In euery peryll nor his honour flytte Through no dispeyre but hope alway wele And haue a truste trewe as any stele Tacheue aye what he take an hande For fynally I do you vnderstande That of hym selfe who hath good fantasye To set vpon and put in inpartye What that befall or happe what happe may Takyng what chaunce tourneth on his play The fyne of suche gladly is victorye They fayle selde of the palme of glorye And tyme is now to speke in wordes fewe Oh brother myne manhode for to shewe To plucke vp herte and to make you stronge And to venge your damages and wronge We shall echyone helpe and lay to hande Kynges Dukes and lordes of this lande And all atones do our busynesse I you behyght your harmes to redresse And in despyte who that euer vs lette We shall vs lodge and our tentes sette Euen in the fyelde afore Troye towne And it beseage to their destructiowne Albe therof I set as now no daye But brother first in all the haste we may Let maken letters without more sermon To all the lordes of this region Of matter touchynge this your vyllanye To come to gyther and shape a remedye This is theffect of all that I can sayne ¶ And thus released somwhat of the payne Is Menelays through cōfort of his brother For whan he sawe it myght be none other And of his tale the kynge made an ende Thrugh out y e lande he did his letters sende Fyrst to her kynne and to his allye To come to helpe hym of their curtesye ¶ And fyrst of all to Menelaus Came Achylles and with him Patroclus And alder nexte the stronge Dyomede And many another to helpe in this nede And all echone in open Parlement They were accorded full by assente To be gouerned as Agamenon Lyst to ordayne in his discrecion Of this voyage they made hym gouernour And of their hooste chieftaine and Emperour Amonge them all there was full vnitee Vpon Troyans auenged for to bee And from this purpose neuer to remewe But fyrst I fynde Parys for to sewe The voyage toke y e worthy brethern tweine Pollux and Castor to recure Heleyne Yet neuertheles as some bokes lysten tell That these kynges no longer wolde dwell But alder faste as Parys was agone They toke a shyppe and folowed hym anone With many worthy in their company And doubtlesse but yf olde bokes lye That or they had sayled dayes three To Troyewarde in the large see The tempest rose and wyndes dyd awake The heauen derke with the cloudes blake That haue the day tourned into nyght And bryght Phebus was mirked of this light The fyry lenen and stroke of the thonder Smote in the maste and shyuerde it a sonder It was so derke no lyghte myght adawe The sea gan swell with many sturdy wawe That rose on hyghte large as any mounte And fell downe and swapped in the frounte Euen of the shyppe and plunged it full lowe Now vp now downe forcast and ouerthrow Their shyppes were with tempest to and fro The fomy waters grene whyte and blo Of feruent boylyng and as pytche blacke With storme wynd that al goeth to wracke So hydously the blastes at theim dryue That euery borde gan from other ryue And all is peryshed there scaped not a man But all atones as I reherse can Be dead drowned with tempest sodaynly There scaped none I say you certaynly Except the brethern such as bookes tel The one in heauen the other lowe in hel Were lordes made tabyde eternally ¶ And some fayne in theyr poesy How the goddes haue theim defyed Like in heauen and ystellifyed After theyr shyppes ware ygo to wrake They were made sterres in the zodyake And to the sygne transfourmed vtterly Whych is of clerkes called Gemyny The whych sygne and constellation Is to Mercury house and mansyon And is of kinde femell and masculyne In whych the Egle and also the Dolphyne Haue theyr arysyng by reuolucion The tayle also aboue the Dragon Is exaltate in the thyrd degree Of Gemyny whych sygne hathe most pouste In hande and armes of man oute of doubte Like as Lucina halt her course aboute And in this wyse were the brether twayne To heauen rapt as these poetes fayne After the tempest ye get no more of me For in this wise the grekes in the sea An ende made and that ful wylfully This ernest first came vnhappely To theim echone as ginning of theyr wo And finall chaunce to the brether two ¶ How y e Grekes assembled to be aduēged of y t Troians for the rauishing of Helein Ca. xv BVt for asmuche as Dares frigius Was in his boke whilom curyous The fourme of Troiens grekes to descriue Lyke as he sawe this auctour by his lyue The shape the fourme complexiowne Both of the partye of theym of Troy towne And of the grekes by good auisement In time of trewse amonge theim as they wēt Seyng the maner of theyr gouernaunce Their porte theyr chere w t euery circūstaūce Namely of tho that were of high degre He not forgate one loose nor qualyte Condicions and also theyr stature All to descryue Dares did his cure In Grekishe tunge beginning at Heleyne Like as tofore ye haue herd me seyne Of her beaute and her semelynesse How seryously Guido doth expresse Saue he sayd as in a lytell space A strype there was endlong in her face Whych as he wryte became her wonder wele Embelyshing her beaute euerydele Like as Dares maketh desripcion ¶ And first he sayeth how king Agamenon Was of good shape and high of his stature And might in laboure at the best endure Vnpacient to lyue in quyet He was to armes so egall and so mete Of coloure whyte and good proporcion And flemytek of his complexion Discrete and hardy and wonder vertuous And of speche ryght facundious And coud him wel in euery thinge demene ¶ But Menelay of stature was but meane Proporcioned atwix shorte and longe Worthy in armes delyuer and ryght stronge Of courage and of hert vygorous Semely also and aye more desyrous To lyue in werre rather than in peace ¶ And furthermore to speake of Achilles He was ryght fayre and of great semelynesse With aborne heyr crispyng for thicknesse With eyen glawke large stepe and great shuldred brode
w t brest ful square mete To endure in armes fel and coragious And of his loke wonder amerous High of stature and large of giftes eke And more of strength than any other Greke And to spend he set lytel charge He was of herte so plenteous and large And in the felde passyng chyualrous ¶ And for to tell forth of Tantalus Of sanguine hewe hauing much of reed Diuerse eyed aye meuing in his head Of huge making also of great strengthe Wel answeryng hys brede to his lengthe Hatinge to striue where he sawe no nede Ryght trewe of worde also as I reade And neuer quarel wolde he take on hande To fyght for but he might vnderstande That it were fully grounded vpon ryght And than he wolde quyte hym like a knyght ¶ Cilcus Ayax was right corpulent To be well cladde he set al his entent In ryche aray he was ful curyous Although he were of body corsyous Of armes great w t shoulders square brode It was of him almost a horse lode Hygh of stature and boystous in a pres And of his speche rude and rechles Ful many worde in ydel hym asterte And but a coward was he of his herte ¶ An other Ayax Thelamonyous There was also dyscrete and vertuous Wonder fayre and semely to beholde Whose heyr was black vpward ay gā folde In compas wise rounde as any sphere And of musyke was there none his pere Hauing a voyce full of melodye Right well entuned as by Hermonye And was inuentife for to counterfete Instrumentes aswell smal as grete In sundry wise longing to musyke And for all this yet had he good practike In armes eke and was a noble knyght No man more orped nor hardyer for to fight Nor desyrous for to haue vyctorye Deuoyde of pompe hatyng all vaynglorye All ydle laude spent and blowe in vayne ¶ Of Vlyxes what shall I also sayne That was so noble and worthy in his dayes Ful of wyles and sleyghty at assayes In meaning double and deceyuable To forge a leysyng also wonder able With face playn he coud make it toughe Mery worded and but selde loughe In counsayling discret and ryght prudent And in his tyme the most eloquent And holpe to Grekes often in theyr nede ¶ And for to speake of worthy Diomede Full wel compact and growe well in length Of sturdy porte and famous eke of strength Large brested and ferse also of syght And deceyuable of what euer he hyght Hasty testyf to smyte reckles And medlyng aye and but selde in peace To his seruauntes ful inpacient And baraytous where that so euer he went For lytel worthe of disposycion And lecherous eke of complexion And had in loue oft syth his parte Brenning within of Cupydes fyery darte And spechles ful ofte felt he his sore ¶ What shal I sayne eke of Duke Nestore Of longe stature and wel compact wythall With corbe shoulders and of middell small In handes strong with armes large roūde In counsalyng prudent and wyse yfounde Whose wordes were sugred wyth pleasaunce Vpon his frende hauing aye remembraunce For of his trouthe he ne coud fayne But in anger he might him not refrayne He was so fret wyth melancolye That no man myght his yre modefye Albe it laste but a lytell space Who could him suffer anone it would pace Lightly it came and lyghtly went awaye ¶ And Prothesalyus y t freshe was of araye Wonder semely and of great beaute I trowe a fayrer might no man se Of good stature delyuer and ful lyght No man swyfter and to speake of myght Of his makyng he was passyng stronge Ferse of courage and lothe to take a wronge ¶ And to tell of Neptolomus He was of making wonder corsyous Whose heyr was blacke shining as doth geat With eyen rounde brode and therto great Large brested with a rysyng backe And in speche stamerd whan he spacke But in causes he could medle wele And in the lawe ful depe he did fele For all his lust was beset on plees ¶ But for to tell of Pallamides King Naulus sonne withouten any wene Of face fayre of body longe and lene Of manful hert hardy in battayle And desyrous his enemye to assayle Famylyer curteyse and therto right tretable In al his dedes and inly worshipable In giuing large and passing of grete fame Of whose bounteful wide sprange the name In many land the storye telleth thus ¶ And next I finde of Polydamus The worthy Greke was of great thycknesse Of wombe swolle enbossed with fatnesse That vnneth he might him selfe sustene And yet of herte he was ful proude kene Right surquidrous and ful of pensyfenesse And selde glad so thought did him oppresse ¶ But Machaon like as wryte Guydo Of longe and short was betwyx two Ful proude and ferse deuoyde of pacyence And vengeable who hym did offence And yet he was as balde as is a coote On whose forhead euen by the roote The heyr was fallen wasted clene away And selde or neuer he would slepe a daye ¶ And ouermore to tellen of Crysyde Stumbleth my pen for longe or she dyed My mayster Chauncer did his diligence As to descryue the great excellence Of her beaute and that so maysterly To take on me it were but high folye In any wyse to adde more therto For wel I wote anone as I haue do That I in sothe no thāke deserue maye By cause that he in wrytyng was so gay And but I wryte I must the trouthe leue Of Troye booke and my matter breue And ouer passe and not go by and by As doth Guydo in ordre ceryously And that I must don offencion Through necligence or presumpcion So am I set euen amiddes twayne Great cause haue I matter to complayne On Attropos that through her enuye Tho brake the thred and made for to dye Noble Galfryde chefe Poete of Brytayne Among our Englishe y t caused first to rayne The golden droppes of Rethorike so fyne Our rude language onely tenlumine To god I praye that he his soule haue After whose helpe of nede I must craue And seke his boke that is left behinde Some goodly worde therin for co finde To set amonge the croked lines rude Whych I do wryte as by symylitude The rubye stant so royall of renowne Within a ryng of coper or latowne So stant the making of him doubtles Amonge our bokes of Englyshe pereles They be ful easy knowen so they be excellēt There is no making to his equipolent We do but halte who so taketh hede That medle of makyng without any drede Whan as we would his style counterfete We may alday our colour grinde and bete Tempre our asour and vermilyon But al I holde but presumpcion It foloweth not therfore I let be And fyrst of all I wil excuse me And procede as I haue erst begon And through his fauour certayn if I con Of Troye booke for to make an ende And there I left I wyl agayne nowe wende
Vnto Crisyde and though to my succour Of Rethoryke that I haue no floure Nor hewes ryche stones nor yet perre But al bare of curyosytye Though crafty speche to enbroude with her sleue Yet for al that now I wil not leue But be as ay bolde bayarde is the blynde That cast no peryl what way that he finde Right so wil I stumble forth of haed For vnconning and take no better hede So as I can her beaute to discryue That was in sothe of al tho alyue One of y e fayrest this Calchas doughter dere Therto of shap of face and of cheare There might be no fayrer creature Of high nor lowe but meane of stature Her sonnishe heyr like Phebus in his sphere Boūde in a tresse bryghter thā gold wyere Downe at her backe lowe downe behinde Which with a thred of golde she would binde Ful oft syth of a customaunce Therto she had so much suffysaunce Of kindes worke without any were And saue her browes ioyned were yfere No man coud in her a lacke espyen And furthermore to speake of her eyen They were so heauenly persyng and so clere That an herte ne might him selfe stere Agayne her shyninge y t they ne woūd wolde Throughout a brest god wote make it yold Also she was for al her semelinesse Symple and wyse and ful of sobernesse The best nouryshed that eke might be Goodly of speche fulfylled of pytye Facundious and therto right tretable And as sayth Guydo in loue variable Of tender hert and vnstedfastnesse He her accuseth and newfanglynesse ¶ And after this Dares doth reherse Amonges other how the kyng of Perse Came to grekes with many worthy knight To helpe and further all that euer he myght The whych kyng was of stature longe And wonder fat as he wryte right stronge Whose berd and heyr redde as flawme of fire With eyen stepe and feruent of desyre To haue ado and sterne of cheare and loke And oft sythes of sodayne yre he quoke And had wertes plenty in his face ¶ And thus Dares shortly for to pace No more of Grekes wryteth as I fynde But of Troians for to make mynde Ceryously he doth his style dresse Them to discryue as I shall expresse ¶ The descryption of Priam his sonnes and doughters of the ariuall of y e grekes tofore the Temple of Diane the goddesse Ca. xvi ANd first he sayeth how king Pryamus Was of his cheare bening gracious Of stature hygh with lymmes sklendre lōg Delytyng much in musyk and in songe And specially was most desyrous To heare songes that weren amerous A semely man and of great hardinesse And spake but lowe as bookes vs expresse Deuoyde of dread hating flatterye And all that could other glose or lye Trewe of his worde and to euery wyght He did playnly equite and right For no mede him list not to declyne And loued early on morowe for to dine In his time one of the worthyest Of all kinges and he that loued best Worthy knightes al that euer he knewe That manfull were and of herte trewe He coud cherishe no man halfe so wele With golde and gyftes that they myght fele His great fredome and larges eke withall ¶ And of his sonnes for to reken all The first of byrth so as bookes tell Was worthy Hector of knighthod sprīg wel Floure of manhod of strength pereles Sad discrete and prudent neuertheles Crop and roote ground of chyualrye Of cheare demure and of curtesye He was example therto of sobernesse A very myrour and for his gentilnesse In his time and therto most renoumed To reken all and of goodlyhead The most famous in peace and werre Whose fame stretched both to nygh and ferre On eche parte he was so vertuous And to be loued most gracious Of brawne and bones compact by measure So wel brethed in armes to endure So wel perfourmed by proporciowne So quicke so liuely and of most renowne So huge made so well growen of length So wel complet for to haue great strengthe ▪ That in this worlde if I shal not fayne Was neuer none that fully myght attayne To the prowes of this worthy knight To prayse his herte as well as his might And therwithall so wyse and aduysee The lowlyest eke of his degre To ryche and pore and of wordes fewe Vnto all suche cheare he could shewe Of his presence that glad was euery wight Whan they at leysur had of him a syght He was so bening to them of the towne And to his enemyes like a ferse Lyowne He could him shewe whan it was to do And in the felde there might no man so To reken all his labour halfe endure For the storye doth vs plyan assure That he was neuer werye in battayle Nor faynt in herte his fomen to assayle Of all good I finde he was the best Prowesse vertue in him were set at rest So passingly that neuer was or shall None bore of mother so perygall To him of manhod nor of chiualrie For all he passed but yf bokes lye In whom nature ne was nothing to wyte Saue in his tunge he was let a lite And as some Auctours make mencion He was sanguine of complexion ¶ And furthermore his brother Deiphobus Like as I finde and also Helenus Were lyke Pryam that sothly of theim thre Was hard to espye any dyuersyte Of shape or fourme or of countenaunce Saue of age there was no varyaunce Their father olde they were yonge lyght And in Deiphobus was a worthy knight And in armes fame and excellence And Helenus in clergye and scyence Was well expert and toke but lytell hede Of al the werre knighthod and manhede ¶ But sothly Troylus if I shall discriue There was of herte no manlyer alyue Nor more likly in armes to endure Well growen of hight and of great stature Yonge freshe lusty hardy as a Lyō Deliuer and stronge as any champyowne And perygall of manhode and of dede He was to any that I can of reade In derryng do this noble worthy wight For to fulfyl that longeth to a knight Te secounde Hector for his worthinesse He called was and for his high prowesse Duryng the werre he bare him selfe so wele Therto in loue trewe as any stele Secre and wise stedfast of courage The most goodly also of visage That might be and most beninge of cheare Without chaunge and of one herte entere He was alway faythfull iust and stable Perseueraunt and of will immutable Vpon what thing◠he ones set his herte That doubilnesse might him dot peruert In his dedes he was so hole and playne But of his foon the sothe for to sayne He was so ferse they might hym not w tstand Whan that he helde his blody sworde in hād Vnto Grekes death and confusyon To them of Troye shelde and protection And his knighthod shortly to accounte There might in māhod no mā him surmoūt Through the world though mē wouldē seke To reken
all Troian nouther greke None so named of famous hardinesse As bokes olde of him do beare witnesse Except Hector there ne was such an other ¶ And after him to speake of his brother I meane Parys most passing of beaute That in this worlde no man might se In very sothe a more semely knight For as I reade that he by title of right Of fayrnesse bare aye away the floure With lockes yelowe like golde as of coloure And in shotyng most was his delyte Hauyng in hunting a full great appetyte And as Dares lyketh him discriue The best archer one that time a liue And of his hand was eke a noble knight A manly man delyuer and of good might And in the werre preued wel he was ¶ And as I reade the Troian Eneas As mine Auctour lysteth to endyte Was wel brested and of body lyte And bare in Troye wonder great estate And in his workes discrete and temporate And had a fame of passyng eloquence Wise of counsayle and of great sapyence Most renoÌ„med also of lecture Delyting muche in bokes and scripture And euer glad both of porte and cheare Sterne of his loke with persyng eyen cleare And amonge all dwellyng in the towne To speake of goodes and possessyowne Of castelles and Toures great plentye I finde sothly that none in that Citye Ne might attayne vnto his rychesse And had also for al his worthynesse Of golde and Iewellê passyng great treasor ¶ And his felowe that hyght danÌ„ Anthenor Was sklender longe and of great dalyauÌ„ce And circumspect in all his gouernaance Welbeloued also of Pryamus And of wordes wonder copyous Resowning ay into myrth and playe And he was bouerdyng all the long daye Amonges his feres and in companye So dryely that no maÌ„ might espye So sobre he was in his countenaunce That euery wight had great plesaunce To heare him talke whan that he was glad And albeit that he of porte was sad Yet all his speche ful of bouerdes was ¶ And his son called Pollidamas Was like his father of stature and of make Ythewed well that there was no lacke In his persone gentill and right trewe Wonder stronge and pale also of hewe And to yre stered sodaynly Albe in wordes he kept couertly But all his heate passe would anone ¶ And to tell of king Mereone Large brested and of his makyng all The best compacte the most tall Of shape and fourme that men coulde fynde And eke so well perfourmed vp by kynde That none was lyke to hym nye ne ferre His lockes yelow and crisping was his heare Styll of his porte and gentill with to playe And inly stronge maistryes to assaye Wonder curteyse to no wyght rygorous And wrought in ariues dedes meruaylous As in this boke hereafter shal be sene ¶ Nowe after him Heccuba the quene Lyke the story my style I must enclyne Whose lymmes all rather dyd declyne To shappe of man than to womanhead As sayth Guydo but in worke and dede She was in soth the most womanly The beste aduysed and most prudently In her dedes could her selfe gouerne That mans wyt myght in no wise discerne To fynde a better doubtles than was she So trewe example of femynyte She was in sothe and to euery wyghte Benynge of porte and gracious of syghte To pore also pyteous and mercyable And vnto nedy wonder cherytable The wife of Hector her doughter eke in law After her lore semed muche to drawe Andromecha the faythfull trewe wyfe So good so iust the whiche in all her lyfe In honeste dyd aye her most delyte Longe of her shap with brestes fayre white With ruddy chekes ennewed by measure With persynge eyen of angelyke fygure Leke golde her tresses and rosen lyppes red Ylyche freshe of colour nothyng dead Therto she was of chere the goodlyest To riche and pore and spake alwaye the best Of euery one aye helpyng that she might That no man heauy went out of her syght And ouer this euery gentylman She further wolde in all that euer she can And gladly euer dyd her dylygence To get grace to them that dyd offence This was her vsage and condicion She was so fylled of compassyon That women all myght of her lere ¶ And Cassandra her owne doughter dere Was of stature wonder womanly Of colour whyte and therwith ryght semely Saue in her face in sondry places were Many wertes growyng here and there And all her ioye and felycytee Was to kepen her virginite In freelte that women haue of kynde Through vertue morall she put out of minde And of all foly fleynge occasyon So aye in study and contemplacyon Of sondry bookes she wolde her occupye But most of all to knowe Astronomye ¶ Of prophecye a spyryt also had she And some men saye she was one of three Of thilke women that Cebyle bare the name Of whom y e renowne floureth and the fame Vnto this daye and is as yet full grene ¶ And to tell of younge Polycene And to descryue her beautie vp and downe It were in soth a foule presumpciowne To take on me now so great a thynge To clymbe so hye it passeth my connyng Syth nature hath in forgynge of this mayde Her connyng all vtterly assayed To make her fayre aboue eche creature ¶ And sayd proudely se how I nature Whan that my lyste enbellyshe can my worke Lyke as Phebus amonge the cloudes derke Is passyng clere so in comparyson I can my worke and operacion Right as me lyste adourne and make fayre So painte and floryshe it shall not appayre And my colours so craftely dispose Of the lylye and of the freshe rose And so ennewe them y t they shall not fade But aye be one and in this wise I made My dere doughter as ye know whoÌ„ I mene The yonge freshe and fayre Polycene Askaunse that none can this crafte but I This in her worke bosted vtterly Nature her selfe whan she this may wrought As she that fully in her herte thought Aboue all other to maken her excell And of beautie to be the very well And therwithall in shap nor in stature Ne was no lacke I dare you well assure And god aboue gaue her soueraintee In all thewes and wolde she shulde be Crop and roote named of womanhead With fulsomnesse of all goodlihead So passyngly that it were ydelnesse Me to presume in wordes to expresse Her beaute all it were a vayne trauayle For wel I wote mine englishe would fayle In such matter to talke felingely Who euer can it certayne it am not I. Therfore I passe and streight now wil I go To my matter for Dares of no mo In all his booke maketh menciowne Of theim of grece nor of Troye towne In special he put no mo in minde Than ye haue herde saue as ye shal finde In this storye whan it cometh therto Of theyr knighthod who that best hath do Lasting the siege the maner euerydell And ryght anone to sharpe my poyntell I wil me dresse this storye
lande An hundred thousand almost at thyn hande Agayne whose might y u mayst y e not assure To resyst playnly nor endure Consyder well how that they be stronge As thou shalt wyt peraunter or be longe So manly men and so well arayed Expert in armes and of olde assayed That no diffence may agayne theim vayle And wyte eke well that thou mayst not fayle By death of sworde of theyr hande to deye And all thyne there is no more to seye Though it so be proudly that thou speake And with thy tunge onely to be wreake Afermest more than thou mayst acheue Better it were such bostyng wordes leue And to wyse counsayle taketh better hede BVt than in haste agayne this Diomede Surquidous and inly full of pryde There rose vp some by the kynges syde With swordes drawe on him wold haue fal And al to hewen him there among theim all Of hasty yre brenning as the glede Tyll Pryamus gan to taken hede And rose him vp seyng this disease And manfully this rage gan appease Theim diffending vpon death and lyfe That none of theim be hardy in this stryfe The embassadoures to harme or to greue For though a fole his foly will not leue To presume to speake vnconningly A wyse man must suffer pacyently And though that he happe to do offence Through folishe speche for lacke of sapyence A wyse man ne ought sothe to sayne To taken hede or to speake agayne For to a fole as it is pertynent To shewe his foly right so conuenient Is to the wyse sothly with suffraunce In all his porte to haue tolleraunce For vnto foles belongeth kindely Without aduyse to speake folyly Vndiscretly his mening to fulfyll Where as a wyse man heare can and be styll Tyll he se tyme and haue pacience And dissimule in his aduertence The rage of foles that last but a throwe For by his tunge a fole is oft knowe And leuer I had I do you wel assure In my persone domage to endure Then to suffer any messengere In my court of you that be here To haue a wronge other great or lite The swerde of rancoure may not alway bite To do vengeaunce for a thyng of nought For oft it falleth that a wronge is wrought For lytel excesse foloweth great reprefe And haste is aye medled wyth myschefe Wherfore I byd that ye sytte adowne And in no wise of presumpciowne Attempteth not in no maner wyse By sygne or worde more for to despyse Thembassadoures from the Grekes sente But let theim frely declare theyr entente And ye there whyles kepe your lippes close ANd sodaynly then Eneas rose Whych next the kinge helde then his see So inwardly with rancour fret was he That he ne myght him selfe not refrayne And sayd syr so ye not disdayne That I shall saye me semeth that it is Wel according when one hath sayd amys And rekly spoken vnaduised Of his foly that he be chastysed That other maye example by him take To be wel ware such noyse and crye to make And specially in open audience So to offende your royall excellence And sothly yet I wote well that I might So me gouerne playnly in your syght Of hastinesse without auisement That I shulde by your commaundement The death deserue for my great offence And trewly yet ne were for your presence Of this twayne that haue so yspoke Without abode I shuld anone be wroke For it were worthy and ryght well sittyng Whan that a fole in presence of a kinge Is bolde or hardy of presumpcion To take on him of indiscrescion Thinge to reherse concluding in sentence Preiudyce of his magnificence That he were taught better to gouerne His large tunge to konne bet and diserne Whan he shal speake or whan be in pease To suffer him to renne out of lese As doth he this that spoke hath so large Wherfore in haste I counsayle him charge Without abode or any worde mo Out of your syghte anone he be ago For it is best to do as I him rede TO whom anone ful proudly Diomede Not astoned but with a sterne loke To Eneas that for yre quoke Answered agayne but with wordes fewe And sayd syr thy wordes doth well shewe What so thou be that thou art ryght wise Well is that king that doth by thyne aduyse Or hath the nye of counsayle for to be For he ne maye erre in no degre That art so rightful in thy iudgement Of wylfullnesse without aduysement To cause a lorde his bondes for to pace So would god in some other place That I myght by fauoure of fortune Mete with the at leysure oportune Lyke my desyre that canst so well endite In olde fables thy labour for to quyte And the to thanke for thy gentyll chere Which so knightly thou hast vs shewed here Truste well therto and haue therof no drede ANd tho Vlixes of this Diomede Gan interrupte his wordes prudently And to him sayde full aduysely That it was best to stynt and be still And now we know fully all thy will Quod Vlyxes full manly to the kynge We will go hense without more taryinge Out of thy sight to Agamenon And make to him playne relacion Of thy aunswere in ordre by and by And to horse they wenten sodaynly And in shorte time so hast them in their way That they be come there is no more to saye Where the kinge satte in his tentorye And worde by worde as came to memorye They reherse the substaunce euery dele Wherof the grekes like nothing wele Conceyuing full there was no remedye As by reporte of the embassadrye Saue onely this vtterly procede How they theim shall gouerne in this nede Agayne Troians of necessitee For they well wote it may none other be And assented both in wyl and dede To puruey theim fast they theim spede In this storye as ye shall after fynde BVt fyrst or I therof maken mynde I must a whyle of Eneas endyte As myne Auctour lyst of hym to wryte The whych sothly as bokes saye he was This manly Troian this worthy Eneas Anchises sone of great worthinesse Whylom gete of Venus the goddesse Conqueroure of many regyon Whan Troye was brought to destruction He wente his waye by the large see Called Tyrene and saylyng forth goth he By many coste and many streyght passage Many daunger tyll into Cartage He ryued is and thense gan to sayle To the conquest of the great Ytale And so to Rome he hath the waye take Of whose spring as auctours mencion make Came Augustus Cesar the Emperour That was whilom so noble a conquerour That his renowne to this daye doth shine And of Enee the Emperour Iustyne In his bokes called Autentykes Full playnly wryt therin the rubrykes That after Cesar so as Cesares Be named yet ryght so Eneades After Enee they name shoulden beare Whych fro Troye comen was so fere Vnto ytayle and of this Eneas As I haue tolde Cesar descended was Downe lyne ryght ful manly and royall
grekes chaced to the wawy sea Wounded and mate in great aduersyte Then him to rest this Troyan knight anone Lyke Mars himselfe home to Troye is gone AT whose partynge grekes efte presume Manly agayne their hertes to resume And of newe their fomen to assayle And to inparte if it wolde auayle Lyfe and death to sette at outraunce On fortunes lyst if she wold auaunce Their parte agayne in recure of the fyelde And theÌ„ enforce with might of spere shielde Anone forthwith and maken no delay To wynne agayne on Troyans if they maye For .viii. tymes sythen they begonne The felde they haue that day lost and wonne Lyke as fortune lyste to do their cure Vp or downe for to tourne her eure For as her whele went about rounde Right so that day they wan lost their grouÌ„d But specially they weren most desmayde WheÌ„ Hector came which hath theÌ„ so outraide Thrugh his knighthod made their hertê ryue And to resorte where they dyd aryue And thus continued mauger all their myght While in the fielde was this Troyan knyght ¶ Tyll Phebus chere gan to westre downe That he repayred is into the towne Whiche had grekes wrought afore full yll ¶ But now the hardy cruell fyres Achyll Aryued is with his knyghtes all Myrmydones whom men are wonte to calle Whyche from the sea taken haue the playne At whose coÌ„mynge grekes haue agayne The fyelde recured and put them selfe in prese Only through helpe of worthy Achylles Whiche is so felly Troyans fall vpon That he of them hath slayne full many one For thre thousande in stele armed bryght With hym he brought redy for to fyght Knyghtes echone full worthy of renowne Whiche with Achylles grekes champyowne Haue mercilesse in their crueltee Slayne many Troyan out of the Citie They were so feruent in their mortall Ire So enuyous of hate to desyre Newe and newe for to shede their bloud For Achylles thought it dyd him good With his sworde y e Troians bloud to shede And on the soyle to se them lye and blede Rowthlesse in his melancolye For he to them hath so hote enuye Without their deth that it may not quenche And he his sworde ful depe hath made drenth Throughout the day in the Troyans bloud And batheth it as it were in a floude Whiche forged was and ywhette so knene That many ryuer sothly on the grene Ran here and there of the hurtes sore And with his knyghtes alway more more Pursued them afore hym as they flee Harde to the walles of Troye the cytee Where dolefully they made a pyteous crye And in this whyle I fynde in the storye ¶ The grekes hoost hooly is aryued Lyke in Guydo as it is descryued Of men of armes suche a multytude And of knightes shortly to conclude That from their shyppes of newe landed be That they of Troye astoned were to se And abashed gan to wexen all For sodaynly there gynneth on them fall On euery halfe passyngly great prese And euer in one this hardy Achilles With his sworde made their sydes red For here and there laye the bodyes dead He wounded some at entre of the gate And knightly there with them he gan debate And furyously this fell cruell knyght The chyldren slewe in their fathers syght That to beholde it was great pyte And yet the slaughter tho greater had be Numbrelesse of them of the towne Perpetually to their confusyowne Lykely for euer to haue be ouercome ¶ If Troylus ne had to rescuse come Yenge freshe lusty and inly desyrous With whom come Paris and Deiphobus And many worthy their partye to socoure So that the grekes tho ne myght endure Agaynst them to standen at deffence For all their pryde nor maken resystence Worthy Troylus so well y t time hym quytte For this in soth what greke that he hytte Outher he maymeth or he made hym deye Wherfore as deth they fled out of his weye And fyerse Achylles with his companye For it was nyght homewarde gan hym hye Towarde grekes with glorye and honoure And they receyue hym lyke a conquerour Whiche at that tyme so happely were mette ¶ And they of Troye haue their gates shet And made theÌ„ strong throughout al y e towne ¶ And in this tyme kyng Agamenowne Yserched hath a place couenable Which to him was thought most agreable By liklyhod and most conuenient For euery lorde to pytchen there his tente And in a fylde that was full large of space Moste competent as for lodgyng place In dewe scyte sette for the Cite Eche lorde was signed where as he shulde be ¶ And gan anone ordeyne mansyons Pytched their tentes and pauyllyons And such as there might no Tentoryes haue From storme and rayne them selfe for to saue They deuysed other habytacles Tiguryes and smalle receptacles To shroude them in and all the night also From their shyppes they hadden moche ado Or they might well haue their horse to lande And to ordeyne where they shulden stande And they also busye for to carye Other thynges that weren necessarye And nedefully vnto a syege longe And eke they made tye their shyppes stronge For in the porte their ankers haue they caste And of assent they busyed them full faste For to confyrme of one entenciowne To set a syege tofore Troye the towne And thervpon a bounde assured faste For to abyde whyle their lyfe many laste Fynally without repentaunce And prudently they made their ordynaunce As they best coulde all the longe nyght They bete their fyres which brennen wonder light And at a space deuyded fro the fyres They sette vp lyke to these barriers And rounde about where their lodgyng was They paled them all the fyelde compase And to acheue the fyne of their purpose They slyly wrought kept theÌ„ selfe aye close ¶ And the kynge that no treason fall Let make watche without his tentes all Of suche as had rested them afore And his mynstrelles he made ouermore As sayth Guydo all the longe nyght To kepe their tydes tofore the fyres bryght Meryly to sowne their Instrumentes And them he made reste in their tentes That had afore wery be of fyghte And in the sea were faynted of their might And others eke he made in their armure Awayte wysely agayne all aduenture That no deceite were founde vpon no syde ¶ And thus this kyng knightly can prouyde In his aduyce that nothyng hym escape And al the night I fynde how he dyd wake ¶ Tyll on the morowe that the rowes red Of Phebus chare gonne for to sprede And thus eche thynge disposed as it ought I wyll procede to tellen how they wrought Ceryously without and eke within With your support the thirde boke begyn Thus endeth the seconde boke The thyrde boke ¶ Of the first battaile wherin Hector shewed hym selfe in valyauncye tofore all other Capitulo .xxii. WVhen Aurora with her pale lyght Vnder y e mantel of the mirke night And the curtyne of her hewes fade Yshrouded was in
Of melancolye and indignacion Caught in his herte a presumpcion To assayle Hector of in warde folyshe pryde And goth to him attrauerse on the syde Furyously with a dispiteous herte That his commonge he might not aduerte Onely for he came at his backe behynde And vnwarely in Guydo as I fynde And Hector smote from his horse to grounde In whom there was so muche manhod fouÌ„de That he anone with a knightly herte Without abode into his sadell sterte And ryght fyersely Prothenor purseweth That fynally his hande he not escheweth For with his sworde he marked hym so wele Through the basenet by his breste of stele That into twayne without any fayle He roue him downe into his paunce of mayle And he fell downe in full pyteous wise Of whych stroke the grekes sore agryse ¶ And specially the hardy fierse Achille When he behelde lyked it full yll ¶ For Prothenor was nygh his cosyne And descended of the same lyne For death of whom he hath such heuynesse So inwarde thought and so great distresse In all this worlde he ne wyst what to do For him he had so much payne and wo. And for the death of him Archilogus To be auenge he was full desyrous And in his herte many waye he caste And in the wardes gan to seke faste With many greke on Hector to haue fall Conspyred fully in sothe amonge theim all Of one entente Hector to assayle But all for nought it would not auayle He was that daye so cruell in his rage They might of him haue none auauntage And Troian knightes by fauour of Fortune Vpon grekes so mightely contune Thrugh conueyeng of Hector and his might That they anone haue put theim to flyght And to theyr tentes maugre who that stryue In their pursuite forwouÌ„ded they them driue That here and there they laye as in a swowe And many a greke merciles they slowe The longe daye till it drewe to nyght And sothly then for very lacke of lyght These troians knightê ful worthy of renowne Aboute Hector repayren to the towne And entre in with honour and with glorye That daye of grekes hauing the victorye And thus I leue theim in their towne within And forth of grekes to tel I will begyn VVhan Hesperus the faire bright sterre Agaynst eue hath caste his streames fer And in the west rathest gan appeare Whan the twylight with a pale cheare In maner morneth thabsence of the sonne And night aprocheth with his coopes dunne The same time when Titan toke his leue That clerkes call Crepusculum at eue Whych is not elles but the meane lyght Of Phebus absence and the dercke night And twylight hatte for it is a meane Of daye and night departing theim betwene Fully nother but of both ymeynt Or the heauen be clustered and depeynt With bryght sterres in the eueninge AT whyche tyme Agamenon the kinge For his lordes sodaynly hath sente To come echone anone into his tente And when they were assembled all yfeare Tryst and heuy with a ruthfull cheare They gan y e slaught of Hector to complayne Affirming playnly they ne maye attayne Vnto victorye while he were alyue Wherfore they gan to conspyre blyue The death of him in many sondry weye Echone concludynge whyle he were in Troy It was not lykely grekes for to wynne For he alone of them that were within Was chiefe deffence and protectiowne And soueraynly vpholder of the towne Their mighty Castell and their stronge wall And vnto grekes deadly foe mortall For they ne myght his great force endure Nor neuer aryght agayne their foes be sure He standyng hole they sayde in no degre Nor whyle he floureth in felycitye Wherfore echone of one entencion They condiscende to this conclusyon That by some slyght of awayte lyinge Whan he were moste busy in fyghtynge Amonge them in myschyfe or distresse That Achylles do his busynesse With all his might vnwarely hym to assayle That hym to slea for nothynge that he fayle ¶ And grekes all gan their prayer make To Achilles for to vndertake Of this Empresse fynally the suite Through his manhode that it be execute The hasty deth of their mortall foe And Achylles without wordes mo Their request assenteth to perfourme And to their luste gan hooly hym confourme From that tyme lett hym beware I reade To be to hasty this iourney for to spede Vpon Hector his power for to kythe Lest fortune awronge her face wrythe To loke on him wyth a frowarde cheare Him to brynge vnto his handes nere Through sorte or hap of Hector folylye To put his lyfe of death in Ieopartye Lest vnto him it happe euen lyche To fall him selfe in the same dyche That he for Hector compassed hath shape For it is wonder if that he escape Sith Hector had without any dreade As brennyng yre and as great hatrede To Achilles his death for to puruey If he hym founde or in any place to saye Conuenyent for execucion I trowe there should gayne him no raunson Nor other mede his herte to quyete But onely death when so that they mete This the ende and fyne of my mattere As in this boke after ye shall heare And thus Grekes made haue an ende Of theyr counsayle and anone they wende Eueryche of theim home to theyr lodgynge And toke theyr resten till in the morninge ¶ Howe the troians toke kinge Thoas prysoner and led him captiue to Troie Ca. xxiiii VVhan Aurora the syluer droppes shene Her teares shad vpon the freshe grene Complayning aye in weping in sorow Her chyldrens death euery somer morowe That is to saye when the dewe so soote Enbawmed hath the floure and eke the roote With lusty lycoure in Aprill and in Maye When that the larke messenger of daye Of custome aye Aurora doth salue With sundrye notys her sorow to transmewe Or Phebus ryse with ioye and gladnesse Through hermonye to leue her heuynesse Taking her leue with sainct Iohn to borow The same time Grekes by the morowe With lusty herte early did aryse And armed theim in all theyr best wise For they theim caste that daye for to gone Into the felde to mete with their fone ¶ And Hector hath the same morowe also I cast him fully with Grekes haue ado And yssued is knightly out of Troye In herte he hath so great desyre and ioye The same daye with grekes for to fyght And wyth him ladde many lusty knyght Of such as were of the Cyte borne And forthe he rode him selfe all aforne ¶ And Eneas with many a worthy Folowed after wonder fast by ¶ And Paris theÌ„ and next him Deiphobus ¶ And syth Troylus that was coragious With all the wardes made of Troye towne In which as Dares maketh menciowne Within his boke there were on Troye syde Of fighting men y t went and that did ryde And hundred thousande armed for to go Into the felde and fyfty thousande mo Which haue theim cast that daye or at eue Of one entent Grekes for to
ouerflowe with a freshe deluge The winde also so sternly gan to blowe That their tentes standing on a rowe Forpossid were and ybeten downe And furyously to their confusyowne The flodê raught theÌ„ from their staÌ„ding place And bare theim forth froÌ„ thens a large space Wherof in myschyefe and in great distresse In great laboure and hertye heauynesse The grekes bydde all the same nyght What for the tempest and for lacke of lyghte Tyll the floude gan agayne withdrawe The wynde to appease and the day gan dawe And the heauen gan agayne to clere Without cloudes freshly to appere And Phebus eke with a feruent hete Had on the soyle dryed vp the wete And the moysture enuyrowne on the playne And grekes had their tentes sette agayne And were adawed of their nyghtes sorowe Through the apering of the glade morowe They them arayed nothynge for the peace And into fyelde fyrst went Achylles As ye shall here of entencyowne That daye to fyght w t them of Troye towne VVhan dryed was the lusty large playne w t Phebê° bemes as ye haue hard me sain The troian knightes full worthy of renowne Descended be and ycomen downe And in the fyelde toke their fyghtyng place But Achylles to mete them in the face Tofore went out lyke as I you tolde With his lordes and his knightes bolde And fyrst I fynde without more abode Vnto Hupon furyously he rode I meane Hupon that was of his stature Lyke a Gyaunt as bokes vs assure Whom Achylles with his sharpe spere Through the body perced him so fere That he fylle dead his wounde was so kene And after this the kynge Octamene As he fyersly on Hector wolde haue gone Without abode Hector hath slaine anone And cruelly quytte him his fatall mede And sodaynely agaynst Diomede ¶ As zantipus the worthy kyng gan drawe Full pyteously he of hym was slawe And ryght anone the kyng Epystrophus And eke the kyng that hyght Cedius Of one assent proudly in battayle Begonne Hector mortally tassayle And with a spere fyrst Epystrophus Ran at hym with herte despyteous And as Guydo also doth deuyse Rebuked him in vngoodly wyse At hym so sore in herte he was a meued Wherof Hector furyously agreued Hath mortally his wounde made so large That hym ne geyneth plate shelde nor targe For he fell dead amonge his men echone To whom Hector bad he shulde be gone And to the Furyes depe downe in helle Suche proude wordes amonges them to tell For here quod he men take of them no hede And thus whan he was waged for his mede ¶ Anone his brother called Cedyus Suche sorowe made for Epystrophus So hertye dole and so wofull chere That pytie was for to se and here So inwardely on his death he thought And with a thousande knightê y t he brought To be auenged by manhode of them all Despyteously on Hector he is fall Where he hym founde fyghtyng w t his foen That through the force of thâ—m euerycone So sore enuyrowne they haue him beset That froÌ„ his stede downe they haue him smit ¶ Whom Cedyus aye in his cruell rage Whan that he sawe to his ouauntage Hector vnhorsed and he on his stede His sworde he lefte of inwardly hatred Markynge at hym with so great a payne With all the force of his armes twayne Fully in purpose withouten more delaye To slea Hector playnly if he maye But or his stroke descende myght downe Hector of hate and indignaciowne With his sworde that was full sharpe whet From his shoulder hath his arme of smet And after that he reuyd hym his lyfe Than Eneas amyddes all this stryfe Came rydyng in ryght wood and furious And as he mette the kyng Amphymacus He fell on him and slewe hym in his rage And from the grekes holdyng their passage ¶ There be discended fyrst Menelaus ¶ And after him kynge Thelamonius ¶ The great duke also of Athene In whom there was so moche manhode sene Vlixes eke and cruell Diomede And eke also to helpe them in their nede There came with them the kyng Machaon And alderlast the great Agamenon With all their wardes and fell in sodeynly Vpon Troyans and they full manfully Diffende them selfe agayne the grekes proude And put them of full knightly as they coude And eche on other sothly as they mette With spere and sworde enuyously they sette So mortall hate there was them betwene And whan the sonne was merydyen In mydday angell passyng hote and shene The grekes gan felly in their tene So myghtely to falle on them of Troye That they them made for to geuen weye Of very force and necessytye ¶ And Achylles so full of cruelte Amonge the renges as he gan hym drawe The kyng Phylem enuyously hath slawe ¶ And amyd of grekes the same time Hector Maugre them all slewe kyng Alphenor ¶ And eke the kynge called Dorius On them he was so cruell and Irous That through vertue of his knyghtly honde Troyans wonne haue agayne their londe Vpon grekes and made them for to flee ¶ And thylke houre from Troye the Cite Epystrophus full of manlynesse The felde haue take through his worthinesse And on grekes proudely for the nones With his knightes he fauleth all attones And seuered them made them for to twinne And gan the fyelde fast vpon them wynne ¶ Hauyng that tyme in his companye Amonges other that he tho dyd guye ¶ A certayne archer the whiche as I fynde Was monstruous and wonderfull of kynde For from the myddell vp vnto the crowne He was a man and the remnaunt downe Bare of an horse lykenesse and fygure And horses heire this monstre in nature Had on his skynne growyng enuyrowne Full rough and thycke of his voice y e sowne Was lyke the neyhynge of an horse I reade And though his face both in length and brede Of shape were mannyshe yet in sothfastnesse His colour was semblable in lykenesse Vnto the fyry hoote brennyng glede Whose cyen eke flawmyng also reade As the blase is of an ouen mouthe And for he was in syghte so vnkouth Where soeuer he was met in the berde Both man and horse sore were a ferde His face was so hatefull and so odyble And his loke so hydous and horrible And aye he had in custome and vsaunce As in bokes is made remembraunce For to go vnarmed into fyelde Without sworde spere axe or shielde For he nothyng coulde of that myster But as I fynde he was a good archer And bare a bowe styffe and wonder stronge And for he was also of tyller longe His arrowes were lyke to his tyller In a bushment trussed wonder ner By his syde aye ready to his hande Where so he were outher on sea and lande And as I fynde how that none armure Agayne his shot playnly myght endure And there was horse stede nor couser That durst abyde nouther fer nor ner But fledde anone with all their full myght As fast as they of hym had a syght To them
maye wyth theim mete At Pylgramage and oblacions At spectacles in Cityes and in townes As sayth Guydo and all is for to selle But after him I can no further telle And eke he sayth in his sentement There is no fraude fully equypolent To the fraude and sleyghty compassinge Of a woman nor lyke in their workyng For who that set all his faithfulnesse Wening in theim to finde stablenesse He shall theim fynde stedfast as the mone That is in poynt for to chaunge soone If he be yonge they caste him in rage If he be olde he falleth in dotage Wherfore my counsayle is to bothe two Caste of the brydell and lightly let theim go ¶ This teacheth Guido god wote and not I That hath delite to speake cursedly Alway of women throughout all his boke As men maye se who so lyst to loke To theim he hadde enuye in specyall That in good fayth I am right wrothe w t al. That he with theim lyst so to debate For yre of which the Latin to translate Inwardly my hert I felte blede Of high dispite his clauses for to rede That resowned in conclusiowne Onely of malyce to accusasiowne Of those women full euyll mote he thriue So generally their secte do descryue Whiche made not through in discrecion Of good nor badde none excepcion He was to blame foule mote he falle For cause of one for to hynder all For I dare well affyrmen by the rode Agayne one bad their ben an hundred good And though some one double be and newe It hyndreth not to them that be trewe And by example also though he shewe That some one whylom was a shrewe They that be good take shall no hede For it no hinderinge is to womanheade Though twaine or thre can double be faine For there agayne sothly at Colayne Of vyrgyns weren inly full of grace A leuen thousande in that holy place A man may fynde and in our kalender Full many mayde parfyt and enter Which to the death stable were and trewe For some of theim with the rosen hewe Of Marterdome the blysse of heauen wonne And some also as bokes telle konne With the lylye of vyrgynyte And vyolettes of parfyte chastyte Ascenden be aboue the sterres cleare And the sercle of the nynthe sphere Where ioye is aye with gladnesse eterne Wherfore in sothe as I can discerne Though some clerkê of shrewes haue missaid Let no good woman therof be mispayde For lacke of one all are not to blame And eke of men maye be sayde the same For to the trewe it is no reprefe Though it be so another be a thefe For what is he the worse in his degre Though that the other be hanged on a tree Nor vnto women hinderyng it is none Amonge an hundred though y t there be one Of gouernaunce that be vicious For there agayne that byn ful vertuous Yf that ye lyst a thousande ye may fynde And though Guido write they haue of kinde To be double men shoulde it goodly take And there agayn no maner grutching make Nature in workynge hath full great powere And it were harde for any that is here The course of her to holde or to restreyne For she will not be guyded by no reyne To be coarted of her dewe righte Therfore eche man with all his full might Shoulde thanke god and taketh paciently For yf women be double naturelly Why shulde men laye on theim the blame For though min auctour hiÌ„der so their name In his writynge onely of Cryseyde And vpon her such a blame leyde My counsayle is lyghtly ouerpasse Where he myssayth of her in any place To hyndre women other eue or morowe Taketh no hede but let theim be wyth sorow And passe it ouer where ye list not rede Tyll ye be come where that Diomede For he was sente into Troye towne Where ceryously as is made menciowne Fyrst how that she to him delyuered was ¶ For Anthenor and for the kinge Thoas And how Troylus gan her to conueye With many other to brynge her on the weye ¶ And after this how that Dyomede By the waye gan her brydell lede Tyll he her brought to her fathers tent And how that Calchas in full good entent Receyued her lodged there he laye And her speche duryng all that daye And all the maner hole and euerydele All is rehersed ceryously and we le In Troylus boke as ye haue herde me saine To wryte it ofte I holde it were but vayne ¶ But Guydo sayth longe or it was nyght How Cryseyde hath forsake her owne knight And gaue her herte vnto this Diomede Of tendernesse and of womanhede That Troylus in her herte is now as colde Without fyre as byn these asshes olde I can none other accusacion But onely kyndes transmutacyon That is appropryed vnto her nature Selde or neuer stable to endure By experyence as men maye ofte lere But nowe to tourne agayne to my matere I must resorte though that I be ferre As I began to wryten of the werre ¶ Of their battayles after that trewse the descripcion of the Pallase of Ilion of a great pestylence in the grekes hoste whereby they were enforced to seke for trewse whiche vpon their suyte they obteyned for thyrtye dayes Capitulo xxvi THe tyme passed of the trewse ytake the next morow whaÌ„ TitaÌ„ hath forsake The vnder partye of their hemysperye Where al the night he had be full merye With Aurora liynge by his syde But in his bed hym lyst no longer byde But shope him vp caste his streames shene ¶ On Troy wall whan Hector armed clene Into the fyelde faste gan hym hye With fyftene thousande in his companye Of worthy knyghtes and of manly men And as I fynde Troylus had tenne Of knyghtes eke that his baner sewe And in all hast Parys gan remewe Out of the towne with them of Perce londe With eche of theÌ„ a mighty bowe in his honde And arrowes sharpe trussed by their syde And of knyghtes that aboute him ryde He had also thre thousande as I fynde ¶ And Deiphobus next him came behynde With thre thousande knightes armed clene On whose plates the sonne shone full shene ¶ And nexte hym came the Troyan Eneas And as I reade sothiÌ„y that there was The same day with them of Troye towne An hundred thousande knyghtes of renown Lyke as recordeth Dares Frygyus And in his boke Guydo writeth thus ¶ And with the grekes all toforre that day With seuen thousande goeth Menelay Knyghtes echone whiche he tho dyd lede And with as many went this Dyomede And next them seweth the hardy Achylles With his mayne called Myrmydones ¶ And zantipus the worthy kyng eke had Thre thousand knightê which w t hym he lad Into the fyelde agayn them of the towne And alderlaste the great Agamenowne With suche a nombre of the grekes felle That wonder is for to heren telle And whan the wardes in the felde abrode Had take their place without more abode ¶ A
of stones precyous ¶ And an other to Anthylogus What shulde I now any longer dwell Ceryously the rytes for to telle Of their buryinge nor what wo they make Their wepynge all nor of their clothes blake Nor how that some loure in their hode And how some go with mylke and bloud With dolefull herte and into fyre it shete And how that other casten gummes swete Amydde the great flaumes funerall Nor of the playes called pallestrall Nor of the wrastlynge that was at the wake It were but vayne me to vndertake To tellen all wherfore I will lette be Fully in purpose lyke as ye shall se To resorte as in conclusyon To tellen how the great Agamenon For his lordes in all the haste hath sent And when they were assembled in his tent Full prudently this kyng this manly man With great aduyse thus he his tale began SYres quod he fortunes varyaunce Her chere froward double countenance And sodeyne tourne of her false vysage Your hertes hath put in suche arage For the murdre to god and man odyble ¶ Of Achylles and the death horryble By compassynge of Hecuba the quene Now semeth me that it shall be sene If any manhode in your hertes be Or knightly force in aduersytye For to endure by vertue of suffraunce Tyll of his death ye taken may vengeaunce And manly quyte this outragious offence Whan time cometh to make full recompence But syth that ye be manly and prudent I wolde fyrst se the playne entent In this matter of you that be so wyse And hereupon what is your aduyse By one assent and voyce in comune Whether ye wyll the werre forth contune And the syege ygonne vpon this towne Tyll they be brought to destructiowne Or into grece now resorte agayne For cause only that Achylles is slayne That whilom was your strong champiowne Your distence and chiefe protectiowne But fynally now that he is dead Hereupon let se what is your reade Saye openly and no longer tarye ¶ And some anone gonne for to varye And to grutche castynge to and fro Standynge in doute what were beste to do ¶ And some sayde on the tother syde For lyfe or death they wolde an ende abyde And some of them that of wytte were rude For their partye gonnen to conclude That they wolde efte home agayne retourne And other sayd that they wyll soiourne Styll at the syege happe what happe may And thus they treate all the longe day Euery man lyke his opynyon Tyll at the laste in conclusyon They be accorded fully into one Fro the syege neuer for to gone Vnto the tyme they haue of the towne Through their knyghthode full possessyowne At their free wyll to spylle or elles to saue Albe Achylles buryed was in graue For the truste of euery worthy knyght Was fynally as goddes haue behyght That they in haste shall the towne possede This was their hope fully deuoyde of drede Vndispeyred in their opynyon ¶ And then anone Ayax Thelamon A worthy knyght and famous of his hande Amonge all tho that were of grekes londe Sayde euen thus playnly in sentence ¶ Syres quod he that here be in presence My counsayle is platly and my rede Now it standeth so that Achylles is dead For his sonne in all the haste to sende Hyther to come for to se an ende Of the syege and helpe vs in this nede ¶ Whiche nowe abyt with kynge Lycomede His bysayle and named is Pirrus And some hym call Neptolonyus Ryght lusty freshe and by lykelynesse Able to attayne to great worthynesse As by reporte and the fame is kouthe If he drawe hym to armes in his youth ¶ And sothfastly but yf bokes lye As I haue redde and herde by prophecye That fynally Troye the Cyte Without hym shall neuer wonne be Thus bokes saye that be of olde memorye And howe grekes shall haue no victorye Tyll he come this sonne of Achylles Wherfore in haste and be not reckeles Sende for hym that it be done anone And they commende his counsaile euerichone And to his reade fully them assent And by aduise full prudently they sente In all the haste on this embassyat The wyse kynge full famous of estate I meane the prudent noble Menelay And forth he goeth the selfe same day And on his iourney gan hym faste spede ¶ Tyll that he came vnto Lycomede The olde kynge as ye haue harde me telle Where for a tyme I wyll lette him dwelle ¶ And to Grekes in the meane whyle So as I can derecte againe my style ¶ Howe Parys and Thelamon Ayax slewe eche other in the fylde Cap. xxxiii THe tyme of yere when the shene sonne In the Crabbe had his course yronne To the hyghest of his ascencyon Whiche called is the somer stacyon Whan the vertue out of euery roote Is drawen vp and the bawme soote Into the croppe and the freshe floure Most lusty is of hewe and of coloure Tyll Phebus chare in his discencion Out of the Crabbe towarde the Lyon Holdeth his course in the fyrmament I meane whan he is retrogradyent And dryeth vp the moysture and the wete Of herbe and floure with his feruent hete And all that veer afore hym made grene To white he tourneth with his beames shene Both sede and grayne by decoction For naturally by dygestyon That fyrst was rawe in fruites in floures And watry eke by plente of humoures He dryeth vp and rypeth at the full With his feruence that men may them pull Eche in his kynde after the season Fro yeare to yeare by reuolucyon On their braunches freshely as they sprede Whan that Cheryes powbly be and rede ¶ First in Iune that seweth after Maye Whan the hote mery somers daye No dwery is but lyke a gyaunt longe The same tyme grekes stoute and stronge With rancour brent of their enuyous hete Haue shapen them with their foen to mete And bryght armed into fyelde they go And they of Troye out of the towne also And their wardes ordeyned euerychone The fyelde haue take to meten with their foen And gan to assemble vpon outher syde ¶ But Thelamon of foly and of pryde The same daye of hym as I reade As he that had of his death no dread Disarmed was for battayle of arest Of mayle and plate bare vpon his brest For of foly and surquedons outrage Bare his heade and bare of his vysage And bare also without basenet And naked eke of vyser and palet He rode all daye of nothynge tho aferde Hauynge no weapon but a naked sworde For wylfully he lefte at home his shelde And his spere when he toke the fyelde Full lyke a knight syttynge on his stede ¶ And after hym foloweth Dyomede Lyke Mars hym selfe about hym his meyne And faste by came the duke of Meneste Kyng Vlixes and Agamenon ANd Pryamus w t them of Troy towne Toke eke the fyelde w t a full heuy chere For he was both feareful and in were In great dispeyre and inly full of dreade
her excellence Albe that she neuer dyd offence Yet her lorde of newfangilnesse Toke an other the letters did expresse Fully in purpose anone at his repayre Though Clemestra were both good fayre All sodaynly her to exyle Out of his lande many thousande myle Warning her that she be prudente This was the substaunce as in sentemente That Oetes wrote vnto this quene Albe the kynge was innocente and clene And was to her in all his fore liuinge Louyng and true in all maner thinge And her to please passyng ententyfe In worde and dede durynge all his lyfe As fer as oughte of reson be desyred But the letters that falsly was conspyred They haue her put parcase of Innocence For to gyue to hasty credence ¶ Thankynge firste Oetes for his trouthe That so goodly hym lyst to haue routhe Vpon her wronge of hygh compassyon And yet the storye maketh mencion Here afterwarde as I shall descriue That she was the fal'est one alyue Vnto her lorde and in his longe absence And in all haste she made stronge diffence Agayne this thinge gan her to purueye By suche fraude that she not ne deye But of her worke in sothe she was to wyte The whych alas I must anone endyte As the story platly doth me lere Whych doleful is and mortall for to heare OH vnsure truste of all worldly glorye w t sodayn chaunge put out of memorye Oh ioye vnstable of vayne ambycyon With vnware tourne reuersed vp so downe Oh ydell fame blowe vp to the skye Ouer whelmed with twincklinge of an eye Oh pompe oh boste of tryumphe victorye Lyke a shadowe waste and transytorye Oh fortune false and vnassured That to no man maye fully be lured To hygh nor lowe of no maner estate With bonde of fayth to be conferate Agayne whose myght no mā may him diffēd But at his tourne that he shall discende When he syt hyest on thyne vnstable whele Thy brotyll fauour forged not of stele Meynt and all allyed with mutabylytye For welfulnesse and false felicitye With sodayn sweygh frowarde y u canst auale Now freshe of chere now for anger pale Of hygh disdayne thou sparest no degree For Princes Dukes highest in their see Mighty kinges and worthy Emperours That richest reygne in theyr royal floures With Sceptre crowne y u canst pul downe ¶ I take wytnesse of Agamenowne That was so noble and myghty in his lyue As sondry auctours his hie renowne desriue But sothfastly for all his excellence He might not make no diffence With all his knightes that his baner sewe Conspyred murdre to voyde and eschewe Rescuse was none that he could make For which alas I fele my pen quake That doth mine inke blotte on my boke Oh mighty god that w t thine inwarde loke Seest euery thing thrugh thy eternal might Why wilt thou not of equit and of ryght Punishe and chastice so horrible a thinge And specyally the murdre of a kinge Alas the payne of Ixion in hell Or of Manes that with Sathan dwell Were not egall nor equipolent To venge murdre nor sufficient For it excedeth in comparison Al felonye falshed and treason Wherfore oh lord that seest and knowest all Through thy power that is eternall Suffre no suche to liue vpon the grounde Worse than Tygre or Cerberus the hounde That chayned lyeth bounde at hel gate Whych of malyce playnly though he hate He berketh fyrst or he do offence But murdre gladly is wrought in sylence Or men aduerte or take any kepe ¶ Alas a Prince to sley him in his slepe On his pyllowe when he slepeth softe That cryeth wreche to hye god alofte And axeth vengeaunce to take as fast Though it abyde it wyll out at the laste Alas a kynge spoken of so ferre That was so worthy outwarde in the werre His cruell fate passynge odyous Dysposed hath in his owne house His mortall ende to be execute Agaynst whych there was no refute For ryght as he his shyp to lande sette The quene Clemestra on y e strond him mette With humble cheare and loke full beninge And shewed out full many faythful sygne Of wysely trouthe in her countenaunce Albe in herte there was varyaunce Not perceyued playnly in her face Whom the kynge goodly did embrace As he in sothe that but trouth mente And to his paleys the hye waye he wente Not aduertynge the treason that was shape The whych alas he might not escape Of the falshede he could nothinke fele But I ne maye no longer it consele Agayne her lorde how Clemestra wrought For on her bond of wedlocke she ne thought The trewe loke sothly of spousayle Agayne her malyce lytell myght auayle Vnto her lorde her trouthe to conserue Newfangilnesse caused to sterue Her olde fayth and her assuraunce Her loue abode on a fykell chaunce Longe absence had her herte apalled She loued one that was Egistus called Which afore all in her grace stode That nother was of byrth nor of bloud Lytell or nought of reputacyowne Nor renowmed of manhode nor renowne Nor of knyghthod nor of hygh prowesse But for his laboure and his busynesse And good awayte vpon her by nyght Therfore he was best furthred in her syght Such dread had she for to lyue alone Sorowles so well she could grone I can not saye what life that she ladde Except that she by him a doughter had And Exyona Guydo sayth she hight And vnto him Clemestra behyght Assuringe him vpon payne of her head He shulde raygne when her lorde were dead And to enhaste this conclusyon Her worthy lorde kynge Agamenon The next nyght was murdred and yslayne By false Egistus and the quene full fayne No longer bode the storye can you lere But in all haste they wedded were yfere And by her false and sleyghty compassynge Of Messene she made him crowned kynge And put him full in possessyon ¶ Alas that synne hath dominacion To further wronge and abate ryght For in this worlde falshed hath more ryghte Full ofte syth than hath ryghtwisenesse And in the estate sette of worthynesse Lo how the synne of auoutrye Brought in murdre by conspyracye Synne vpon synne lynked both twayne And embraced in the fendes chayne Perpetually in hell to endure Alas who shall him selfe full assure Fro cruell murdre his body to withdrawe When that kinges in theyr bedde are slawe Whiche bringeth in alyenacyon By extorte tytle false successyon There maye coloure of pretense seme But full streyghtly god shall after deme And iustly venge with due recompence Intrusyon brought in by violence And felly quyte suche horryble thinges And sodayne slaughter specially of kinges Greatly to dread in euery regyon ¶ And as I fynde that Agamenon By Clemestra the false double quene Had a sonne passynge faire to sene Right gracious in euery mannes syght And Horestus the boke sayth that he hyghte Wonder semely and but yonge of age And for great feare of this mortall rage Lest he were slayne as it was to dread
and confuse As man forsake abiecte and refuse Ryght so fared he wandrynge to and fro As he that ne wyst what was best to do BVt I fynde the Troyan Eneas That all this while still at Troye was Onely of routh and compassyowne To support thē that were left of the towne Beynge alway of theyr life in doubte Of theyr fomen rounde beset aboute As they that lyued for lacke of an hede Contynually in myschyefe and in dread Knowing no refute nor cōfort in this case Tyll by counsell of this Eneas To supporte theym in this great nede They sent in haste for this Dyomede Knowynge full well his desolacyon How he was proscrypt fro his regyon Besechynge hym of manhode and of routhe Him to enhaste wythout any slouthe With all the stuffe that he get can And souldyers also manly euery man Without abode and to Troye them lede To succoure them in this great nede ¶ And Dyomede came and taryed nought At theyr request as he was besought To releue them in this sharpe shoure And wyth hym brought many a souldeour And Eneas on the waye him mette In frendly wyse and into towne hym fette And to him made passyngly great chere And there they gan to commune yfere Theyr auentures both of lande and sea Entermedled with great aduersyte That no man maye deuoyde nor eschewe But take his parte as it to him is dewe As sorte or hap doth his brydell lede And in this storye shortly to procede Cely Troyans that were almost shent With theyr fomen of yles adiacent That theim besette aboute enuyrowne But through the manhod the hye renowne Of Dyomede and his souldeours And other knyghtes noble werreours They were reskued and holpen vtterly And foure dayes they fought by and by In knyghtly wyse defendynge the Cytee And through prowesse also of Enee They slewe and toke all that them withstode And in diffence of Troyanyshe bloud Suche as they fonde to the cytye false They hange them vp hye by the halse And punyshed them for theyr great wronge ¶ And Dyomede thus gan wexe stronge By longe processe as made is mencyon Chiefe protectour now of Troye towne That enuye none by a large space Durst abyde that he had grace To his lygeaunce so he made them loute And thus his name sprede gan aboute That of his fame the great opynyon Dylated is vnto the regyon By swifte reporte to Calydonye and Arge Which the quene greatly gan to charge And astoned when he taketh hede His power gan and his might to dreade Lest he would her lande vpon her wynne And of knighthod a werre newe begynne And secretly gan muse on this thinge That her lorde and her myghty kynge Late exyled and yput to flyght Hath grace founde in fortunes syght And is remonuted to high estate Wherof she was in her selfe checke mate And wayes caste as he that was prudent By hole aduyse of her parliament Without grutchynge or rebellyon Him to reuoke to his regyon ¶ And therupon to him lowly sente And with letters the messager forth went The cause annullyng by which he was exiled And how he was fully reconsyled By hole assent of his lyeges all And ful lowly euerychone they call For theyr offence and of theyr trespace Without rygour for to do them grace And he anone like a manly knyght More of mercy sothly then of ryght When he hath theyr sonde well conceyued And theyr meninge fully apparceyued To stynte all strife thought for the best In goodly wise to graunt theyr requeste And to his reigne within a certayne daye He is repeyred in full riche arraye Of whose comynge full glad his lieges bene And reconsiled both he and the quene And all rancour of any olde offence Onely of wisedome they put in suspense And of one herte a blisful life they lede In Troye booke no more of hym I reade But let him liue in felycytee Agayne resortynge to tell of Ene After how he hath his tyme spent Which is fro Troye w t many Troyan went His shippes stuffed he and his meyne Be sayled forth by many straunge sea Many daunger and many strayte passage Tofore or he aryued in Cartage Ledinge with him his father Anchises And by the waye I finde that he les His wife Crewsa by fatall auenture But all the wo that he dyd endure Who so list ceryously to sene And how that he falshede the quene I meane Dido of womanhead floure That gaue to him her rychesse treasoure Iewelles and golde al y t mighte him please And euery thing that might do him ease ¶ But for all that how he was vnkinde Reade Eneydos and there ye shall it fynde And howe that he falsly stale awaye By nyghte tyme while she a bedde laye And of his conquest also in ytayle Where he hadde many stronge battayle His auentures and his workes all And of the fyne that is to him fall Ye maye all se by soueraygne style Fro poynt to poynt compyled in Virgile Wryte and made sythen go full yore For Troye boke speaketh of him no more ¶ But procedeth as I shall endyte How Horestes caste him for to quyte His fathers death playnly and not spare If ye lyst heare as Guydo doth declare IT is requyred of equit and of right Of that iudge that is most of myght And egally holdeth his balaunce On death conspyred for to do vengeaunce The voyce of bloud doth so aye contune To crye wreche with clamour importune On them in sothe that it iniustly shede For murdre wrought wil haue his egall mede And his guerdon as he hath deserued They maye not fle the iudgement reserued Of him that sit highest in his trone And all beholdeth by him selfe alone Full rightfully the noble mighty kinge For though he suffer he forget nothinge But all consydreth in his in inspectyon And for the murdre of Agamenon The mighty lorde y t is most soueraygne good Made of mynystre of the same bloud Yonge Horestes full of high prowesse To execute his dome of ryghtwisenesse And gaue to him grace power and might And he anone toke the ordre of a knyght Of Ydumeus like as it is tolde When he was foure and twentye wynter olde Freshe and lustye and wonderly prudent And inwardly desyrous of intente If fortune would him not with sayne His heritage to recure agayne ¶ Which Egistas falsly hym denyeth And the crowne vniustly occupyeth By false tytle of her that was his wife ¶ But Horest's will ieoparde his lyfe And auenture while him lasteth breth Fyrst to be venged on his fathers death Vpon them tho that the treason wrought And alderfyrst full lowly he besought ¶ Kinge Ydinne of his goodlyhead To further him in this great nede ¶ And the kinge benignely anone Assigned hath with him for to gone A thousand knightes manly and right strōge To redresse the great horrible wronge Of Egistus wrought by violence And by his wisdome and his dyligence This Horestes gan him so purueye
was to feble Pyrrhus was to strong ¶ Whiche helde also in storye it is tolde ¶ Andromecha with hym in his housholde ¶ Hectors wyfe by whom whylom she had A lytell chylde whyche with hir she ladde The sege complete and destructiowne Whan she was brought out of Troye towne Laomedonte I fende was his name Encreasyng after to full worthy fame ¶ And by this Pyrrhus she had a sonne also â–ª ¶ Achylleydos so calleth hym Guydo And these women for all theyr great estate Atwene them selfe amonge were at debate ¶ And Hermyone with yre full hote In complayning thus to her father wrote That her fere for all her hygh degree Andronomecha was cherished better thaÌ„ she Of kynge Pyrrhus besechynge Menelay Hym to enhaste in al that euer he maye And come hym selfe anone that it were do To slea this woman and her childe also That naught he abode but fastgan hym hye In all heate his towardes Thesalye To be avenged with his swerde of stele On her that herein fauleth neuer adele But maugre hym in all his cruelte She was reskewed amyd of the Cite ¶ It is a thynge which hath not be herde To a woman a kynge to draw hys swerde I wyll no more in thys matter dwelle In maner shamed it to wryte or telle But this was done while Pyrrhê° of courage To Delos was gone was on his pilgrimage Hauinge with him but a litell route ¶ To Apollo there knele and to loute For the soule to praye of him Achylle And hys vowes also to fulfylle And hym to thanke with hyghe affeccyon Of good exployte he hadde at Troye towne And for the wreche also that was take At the Cyte for hys fathers sake But all this thinge here yspecified ¶ Kinge Horestes warely hath espyed And to Delos haste the full ryght Ledinge with him many a lusty knight And vnwarely there with Pirrhus mette And vengeably he vpon him sette That fynally in that straunge lande ¶ Horestes slewe him with his owne hande I fynde in sothe he made no diffence So sodayne was the mortall vyolence Of his enuye he could not asterte For or that he his sworde myght aduerte He was on him enuyron all beset Thilke tyme it myght be no bet For there was nother socour nor declyne Thus was Pyrrhus brought to his fine ¶ Late crowned kinge of Thesalye Lo here the guerdon of auoutrye Lo how the mede and rewarde is ful rife To misuse an other mannes wife It is no dread folowe shall vengeaunce Sodayne death or vnware myschaunce Which euery man greatly ought charge And in Delos in a temple large ¶ Kinge Pyrrhus was locked vnder stone And Horestes furth his waye is gone And by force gat his wyfe agayne There was no wight durst him tho w tsayne And to Methene proudly is repeyred And Thesalye piteously dispeyed Destitute as they that can no reade When they wist theyr worthy king was dead And heyre was none by succession To gouerne that noble regyon Saue Achilleydos that but litell aforne In Pirrhus absence was in Grece borne Fully of age not a quarter cleane The youth of whom sothly was to grene Who lyst consydre and to tender of myght Full many daye to reioyce his ryght And to gouerne with Sceptre in his hande The large boundes of so great a lande ¶ And yet this childe likly and right fayre In very sothe was borne to be heyre After Pirrhus this the trouth playne There was no man that lyst it withsaine ¶ But I finde when he came to age He resygned hole his herytage To his brother frely and his ryght ¶ Lamedowne a wonder manly knight That was descended of Troyanishe bloud Downe fro the stock of him that was so good Floure of knighthod diffence of Frygya That him begat on Andromecha Ordeyned nowe who so grutche or frowne Of Thesalye for to beare the crowne And whan he was made lorde of that lande And all was frely resygned to his hande ¶ He hath coÌ„maunded no man dare replye Through the kyngdome of all Theaslye That all that were in captyuitye Or prysoners of Troye the Cytye For loue or hate exceptyon was none That all shulde at their large gone ¶ By full assent of Achylleydos And suche as were eke in pryson close Without raunsome shall delyuered be ¶ And reioyse the full lyberte By custome vsed both in borough and towne Of the lyeges of that great regyon And thus the folke y t came thralle fro Troye Restored be sodaynely to ioye ¶ By Lamedowne and ymade free And he eke reygneth in his royall sea Full myghtly as I haue made mynde In Troye boke no more of hym I fynde Nor of Pyrrhus nor of his kynrede Fro henseforth I can no processe reade ¶ But incydentes that beare no substaunce Whiche were but vayne to put in remeÌ„brance Except myne auctour I note to what entent Here impeth in me a littell incydent Ywrought and done of full yore agone Touchynge the death of kyng Menon Whyche by enuye of cruell Achylles Was slayne in soth amonge Myrmydones Onely for he proudely gan pursewe Vpon Achylles Troylus to reskue ¶ Whom kynge Pryam made buryed be Besyde Troylus in Troye the cyte In a temple ybylte of marbell olde And to what fyne this tale is tolde In this Chapitle I shall reherse anone THe noble quene of this kynge Menon After the tyme longe and many day That she was deade and grauen vnder claye At the toumbe heuenly gan appere Albe set with bryght sterres clere Whose symylytude for to reken all Was lyke a thynge that were immortall That no man myght vtterly sustene To beholde of loke she was so shene Downe descendynge fro the fyrmament Full many man beynge there present Clade in a mantell ful celestyall And of her porte passyngly royall With swetenesse freshe as any rose Made in all haste the tombe to vnclose Of her lorde and taketh out the bones And in a chest made of golde and stones She couched them as fast as euer she maye Dispeyred and went anone her waye And tofore that nor after in certayne In that place she was neuer sayne Some afferminge as by lyklynesse She was other aungell or goddesse The soule or fate of the same kynge I can not deme in suche heauenly thynge Nor therin holde none opinyon For it transcendeth shortly my reason And me lyst not in suche matter diffyne But resorte ryght as any lyne To Vlixes and a while dwell Of his ende the surplus for to tell And how that he myght not escape The parodye that was for hym shape For Parchas haue his last terme sette And Attropos mesured out and mette His liues threde on the rocke sponne Diffende thy selfe Vlixes if thou konne Shewe thy manhode and not be aferde And be welfare of thy sonnes sworde For I shall nowe like as I am wonte Sharpe my penne both rude and blonte To descriue the fine of thy soioure Vpon the boundes set of my laboure For almost wery
weake and faynt ynough Be the beastes and oxen of my plough The longe daye agayne the hyll to wende But almost now at the landes ende Of Troye booke fyche I wyll a stake Saue I must spende a fewe lynes blake The laste chapiter shortly to translate Of all this worke and ympen in the date Of that daye death sette on him areste Full execute by him he loued best LOwe on my knees now must I loute To this god that maketh men to route And causeth folkes to haue glad swenenes Both on morowe and on lusty euenes When Morphe us with slepy wande Which that he holdeth alwaye in his hande Hath marked them agayne the nyght To make men both mery and lyght And some whyle to haue gladnesse And sodeynly to falle in heauynesse Lyke as to them he gyueth euydence By sondry sygnes in his apparence Vnto that lord now must I mekely preye At this tyme my style to conueye Of Vlyxes the dreame to discryue The laste of all he had by his lyue Declarynge hym by tokens full notable And by sygnes very demonstrable As he slepte agayne the pale mone His fatall day that shulde folowe soone For it fell thus as he abedde laye After mydnyght tofore the morowe graye ¶ Hym thought he sawe appeare a creature To his syght celestyall of fygure None erthly thynge but veryly deuyne Of porte and chere wonder femynyne ¶ And as hym sempte in his fantasye Lyke a thynge sent out of fayrye For the beaute of her goodly face Recomforted playnely all the place Most surmountynge and most souerayne And the clerenesse of her eyen twayne All sodeynly or men myght aduerte Perce woulde euen to the herte Deffence none myght be deuysed ¶ And Vlyxes with her loke supprysed Gan her beholde alwaye more and more And in his slepe for to syghe sore Persynge aye with full busy peyne Her to enbrace in his armes twayne ¶ But aye the more that he gan pursue She agaynewarde gan hym to eschewe And aye the more he preysed her to se Aye the more from hym she gan to flee So contrayre to hym was fortune And whan she sawe he was importune She asked hym shortly what he wolde And he to her the platte trouth tolde ¶ Certes quod he my lyues Emperysse Where that ye be woman or goddesse I can not deme nor iudge halfe a ryght I am so derked and blynded in my syght ¶ But I dare well affyrme in this place My lyfe my deth stande hoolely in your grace More of mercy requyrynge than of ryght To rewe on me which am your owne knight And of your pyte and compassyon Goodly to se to my saluacyon For my desyre but I maye fulfyll This same night to haue of you my wyll To my recure I can no remedye For lacke of routhe but nedely I must dye Now haue I all atwixe hope and dread My selfe declared to your womanhead And after that she kept her close a while And tho full sadly gan on him to smyle And as it put is in remembraunce Sayde vnto him with sobre countenaunce Sothly quod she this thine affection Would fully tourne to the confusion As of vs both so it is perellous So inly mortall and contagyous That vtterly there gayne may no reade But one of vs must anone be dead This is the fyne of the hateful chaunce That folowe should after our pleasaunce And as Vlixes gan to nighen nere Beholdinge aye on her the heauenly cheare Where as she stode vp right on the grdunde He sawe her holde a spere longe and rounde The head therof all of borned stele Forged newe and grounde wonder wele ¶ And therupon in his auisiowne He sawe a baner blasynge vp and downe The felde therof all of coloure ynde Full of fyshes beaten as I fynde ¶ And in some bokes like as it is tolde In the middes a large crowne of golde ¶ And or that she tourne gan her face Lykly anone to parte out of the place She spake to him sayd in wordes playne This is full token of partynge of vs twayne For euermore and efte for sowre ne swete After this daye neuer agayne to mete And disaperinge anone her leue she toke And after that he sodaynly awoke And gan to musen in his fantasye What maner thing this dreme might sygnefy But where it mente other euill or good The secretnesse he tho not vnderstode For it surmounted sothly his reason Therfore he sente throughout his region For suche as were subtill exposytoures Of fate or sorte or crafty dyuinours For all the clerkes subeict to his crowne To assemble in one his sweuen to expowne ¶ And when they knewe by informacyon The maner hole of his auision They byn concluded according as in one The time aprocheth and shall come anone That one that is the next of his kinrede With a spere shulde make his herte blede ¶ Let se where he his fate gan remewe Sith it is harde destynye teschewe As saye tho folke in theyr opinion That worke and trust on constellacion And Vlixes musynge on this tale Chaungeth coloure and gan to wexeen pale Wonder dreadfull and full of fantasyes Gan in him selfe to seke out remedyes Awaye to voyde thinge that will not be ¶ He stareth brode but he maye not se His inwarde loke was with a cloude yblent ¶ But weninge he for to be prudent ¶ Made call to hym his sonne Thelamon And to be take and shet vp in pryson He supposynge fully in his witte From all mischiefe therby to go quite He not aduerteth nor ne toke none hede To the sharpenesse of his speares head Nor to the fishes in the baner beate Nor of the sea wherin they swimme and flete Nor of the quene that called is Circes That signes brought of wer not of peace Nor of the crowne token of dignyte Of one that holde shall his royall see Waltryng amid the wawes both fell woo Amonge the fyshes in the large floud ¶ And he shall make the ful diuision Tofore remembred in the auision Agayne his will of very ignoraunce And execute the fatall puruyaunce Vp of the dreame with his spere of stele Whych Vlixes consydreth neuer a dele ¶ Nor to no wyght hath suspection ¶ But to his sonne called Thelamon That closed is and shet vp in a towre ¶ And Vlixes with coste and great laboure Fro daye to daye doth his busynesse For him selfe to make a forteresse Bilte on a rocke of lime and square stones Depe ditched about for the nones That no man maye enter on no syde Where as he casteth all hys lyfe to abyde With certayne men chosen in specyall ¶ Night and daye to watche vpon the wall That no maner wyght shulde haue none entree But it so falle that he be aye secree And knowen of olde to counsayle sworne NOw as y e story rehersed hath to forne The olde foole this dotarde Vlixes A sonne had begot on her Cyrces Freshe and lusty yonge and